Epistar president Chin-Yung Fan said his company's clients are developing notebooks, tablets, smartphones, and monitors with Mini-LED backlighting systems, which will naturally boost demand for Mini-LEDs in the second half of 2020, according to Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes.
Epistar is an Apple supplier, leading to the possibility that the iPhone maker is one of the unnamed clients working on Mini-LED products, as previously rumored, but Epistar declined to comment on any specific clients.
Last week, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of investor firm TF International Securities said Apple plans to release an iPad with a Mini-LED display between the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, followed by a MacBook with a Mini-LED display in the first or second quarter of 2021.
Kuo said Epistar will be one of Apple's suppliers for those iPad and MacBook models. Epistar is the largest LED manufacturer in Taiwan.
Kuo expects the iPad and MacBook to be positioned at the high end of their respective product lines due to costly Mini-LED display components, suggesting they will be iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models. He previously said the iPad will have a 10-12 inch screen and the MacBook will fall in the 15-17 inch range.
Kuo added that the Mini-LED backlit displays will allow for thinner and lighter product designs, while offering many of the same benefits of OLED displays used on the latest iPhones, including good wide color gamut performance, high contrast and dynamic range, and local dimming for truer blacks.
The future iPad and MacBook displays will each use approximately 10,000 LEDs, compared to 576 in Apple's upcoming Pro Display XDR, according to Kuo. Each LED is said to be very small — below 200 microns in size.
Apple continues to use traditional LCDs across its entire iPad and Mac lineups for now, but if this rumor proves to be accurate, we can expect the first Mini-LED models within the next 12 to 18 months or so. Prices will likely start on the higher side, but the technology should shuffle its way down the lineup over the years.
Adobe today released updated versions of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, the company's affordable photo and video editing software aimed at casual users who want to improve their photos and videos with simple editing tools.
Photoshop and Premiere Elements 2020 feature updated Adobe Sensei AI technology, new guided edits for walking users through various features within each app, and updated ways to share content.
Since the 2019 version, opening up the Home Screen in Photoshop and Premiere Elements has shown automatically generated photo and video slideshows with different effects powered by Adobe Sensei.
In 2020, there are new effects like Black and White Selection, Pattern Brush for overlaying patterns on photos, Painterly for interesting masking and crops, and Depth of Field for blurring backgrounds to bring out subjects.
Photoshop Elements has new editing features that users can take advantage of for quick but powerful edits. There's an option that will automatically colorize black and white photos or tweak the colors in an existing color photo.
With one-click subject selection, users can select the subject of a photo with a click and then apply an effect or cut out a subject to put it in another photo.
There's a new skin smoothing feature that will automatically smooth and refine the skin of a subject in a photo using Adobe Sensei technology, and Adobe has added several new Guided Edits (aka tutorials). Guided Edits include making unwanted photo objects vanish and adding creative sparkle to photos using pattern brushes.
New this year is an option to create and order more than 140 items using photo prints from Fujifilm Prints and Gifts service (U.S. only), which is now built into Photoshop Elements.
Premiere Elements 2020 has been updated with a Reduce Noise effect that makes videos more crisp, cutting down on noise in low light videos. There are also several new Guided Edits for creating time-lapse videos, replacing static skies with moving skies, and filling the frame to match the video (such as when a video is taken in portrait orientation).
Also new to Premiere Elements is a Smart Tags feature for identifying the content in videos, and HEIF and HEVC support.
For more on what's new in Photoshop and Premiere Elements 2020, make sure to check out Adobe's website. The updates are available for purchase from Adobe for $99 each starting today, with bundle and upgrade pricing available.
The app has seen an overhauled interface that better matches macOS Catalina and iOS 13, Apple's newest operating systems. CloudApp for the Mac features larger interface elements and a streamlined design meant to improve the overall look and feel of the app.
Collections and Favorites are also new additions, making it easier to share screen recordings, GIFs, videos, photos, and more with colleagues. Collections lets CloudApp users better organize their content, keeping it right at their fingertips for quick access. Users can create a Collection of commonly used files, get to those files right from a folder on the desktop, and easily share the content.
CloudApp imagines multiple use cases for Collections. Customer service representatives, for example, can create a Collection of videos, screenshots, and GIFs for answering common customer questions, while marketing teams can keep design elements on hand.
Favorites, meanwhile, are aimed at making it faster for CloudApp users to get to their most used Drops from the desktop. Favorites can be accessed from the new Favorites section, right next to Collections and Drops.
CloudApp is also gaining new short links, doing away with the cl.ly short links in favor of share.getcloudapp.com links. CloudApp says these are more customer friendly, direct, and offer better security with SSL. Paid customers can continue to offer links with a customized domain.
Apple has reportedly banned an app that allows Hong Kong protestors to track protests and police movements in the city state, despite increasing international condemnation against the violence used by the authorities.
According to The Register, Apple has told the makers of the HKmap Live app that it can't be allowed in the App Store because it helps protestors to evade the police.
"Your app contains content - or facilitates, enables, and encourages an activity - that is not legal ... specifically, the app allowed users to evade law enforcement," the American tech giant told makers of the HKmap Live on Tuesday before pulling it.
Opposition to the Chinese state and the Hong Kong authorities has grown louder, driven by an escalation in violence against protestors over the past week. On Wednesday, thousands of people took to the streets of Hong Kong to denounce the shooting of an unarmed teenage student by police.
Tsang Chi-kin was shot in the chest at point-blank range on Tuesday. He remains in hospital in stable but critical condition after surgery to remove the bullet, which narrowly missed his heart.
The rise in police violence has led protesters to make use of digital networking and collaborative tools to organize street gatherings, with services like HKmap Live being used to help them avoid what they perceive as government-orchestrated attacks.
This isn't the first time Apple has acted to remove apps from the App Store to abide by Chinese law. In July 2017, Apple removed the majority of VPN apps from the App Store in China, following regulations passed earlier in the year that require such apps to be authorized by the Chinese government.
Update 1:19 p.m.: Apple is reviewing its decision to reject HKmap Live, reports Bloomberg, and is likely investigating whether the software violates local laws. It's not yet clear if the app will be re-added to the App Store and the developer has not yet received an update from Apple following the commencement of the new review.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues 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.
Three-quarters of Netflix subscribers have no intention of subscribing to either Apple TV+ or Disney+ when they launch next month, according to surveys conducted by Piper Jaffray (via CNBC).
According to the investment banker's survey of 1,500 Netflix subscribers, roughly 75 percent don't intend to subscribe to the upcoming rival streaming services, although those who do subscribe to Apple TV+ or Disney+ also expect to keep their Netflix subscription going.
"Our survey suggests that the majority (~75%) of Netflix subscribers do not intend to subscribe to either Disney+ or Apple TV+. For those that do expect to use one of these offerings, the vast majority expect to also maintain their Netflix subscription," Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Olson said.
"Most existing Netflix subscribers appear to be trending towards multiple streaming video subscriptions, especially as many continue to reduce their spend on traditional TV offerings," Olson said.
The survey should provide some comfort for Netflix investors following news of slowing subscriber growth over the last three months, along with fears about the effect that the new streaming competition will have on the company's stock price.
As CNBC's Michael Bloom notes, optimistic forecasts for Netflix were nearly universal on Wall Street as recently as July, but Netflix stock has since dropped nearly 30 percent and effectively wiped out its 2019 gains.
Amid the challenges, Netflix has been looking at new marketing strategies to help fend off its upcoming rivals. For example, the streaming leader has been offering non-subscribers access to the first episode of its new series, Bard of Blood, for a limited time.
Apple TV+ launches on November 1, with Disney+ arriving a little over a week after, on November 12. Apple is offering a one-year free trial of Apple TV+ to anyone who buys a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, or iPod touch.
Nintendo's latest smartphone app Mario Kart Tour has been downloaded over 90 million times since it launched last week, according to new download estimates shared by Sensor Tower.
The number eclipses both Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Super Mario Run, which were downloaded a respective 14.3 million times and just under 13 million times in their debut week, making Mario Kart Tour Nintendo's biggest mobile game launch to date.
Breaking down the figure across platforms, the free-to-play game was downloaded 36.5 million times on iOS devices, while the Android version was downloaded 53.3 million times.
In terms of overall revenue driven by in-app purchases, Mario Kart Tour earned $12.7 million, so it hasn't reached the heights of Fire Emblem Heroes, which earned Nintendo $28.2 million in its first week. Super Mario Run meanwhile clocked up $16.1 million in its debut week, making Mario Kart Tour the company's third-biggest game.
Across platforms, $9.6 million (75.5 percent) was spent in-game by iOS device users, while Android IAPs amounted to $3.1 million (24.5 percent). Most spending occurred in the U.S. with $5.8 million, followed by Japan ($4 million) and France ($752,000).
Announced in January 2018, Mario Kart Tour was delayed several times before its debut last week. The game features an optional "Gold Pass" subscription, which introduces various in-game items and badges and also unlocks the faster 200cc mode. Nintendo is offering a two-week free trial, after which it costs $4.99 a month.
Mario Kart Tour is a free download from the App Store, requires iOS 10 or later to play, and officially supports iPhone 5s or iPad Air and later devices. A Nintendo Account is also required to play the game. [Direct Link]
Microsoft today held an event in New York City to show off both new Surface devices and some new dual screen devices that are coming in the future.
MacRumors videographer Dan was in attendance at the event and was able to capture some footage of the newly announced products for an overview that can be watched over on our YouTube channel.
Microsoft's most exciting unveil was the Surface Neo and the Surface Duo, two foldable dual display devices. The Neo is tablet sized while the Duo is phone sized, and both have two displays that aren't connected together into one display but are instead displayed side by side with a hinge.
The Surface Neo features two nine inch displays that can fold out into a larger 13-inch form factor, while the Duo has two 5.6-inch displays that fold out into an 8.3-inch tablet.
You can hold these devices like a book, using one side for one app and the other side for another app, or you can fold them up into a more traditional form factor. They can also be unfolded into a laptop shape if desired.
The Surface Neo (the larger of the two) has a detachable Bluetooth keyboard and a Wonder Bar that's similar to the Touch Bar on Apple's laptops but larger and with more functionality.
Windows 10X, new custom software based on Windows 10 but designed for dual displays runs on the Neo, while the Duo, which is in fact Microsoft's first smartphone since the Windows Phone in 2017, runs a heavily skinned version of Android.
These two devices were by far the most interesting devices Microsoft had to show off, but unfortunately, they're not launching until the holiday season in 2020 and Microsoft didn't even have prototypes available for attendees to test out.
As for what's available now, Microsoft overhauled its Surface lineup. The new Surface Pro X, designed to compete with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, features a 13-inch display and it's super slim and light. It has a cover that integrates with a new Surface Slim Pen, and there's an SSD that's user accessible.
The Surface Pro X features an SQ1 processor, LTE connectivity, 13 hours of battery life, and 2 USB-C ports. It's priced starting at $999 and will be available in early November.
Microsoft also unveiled a new version of its Surface Laptop 3, which comes in new colors and finishes, has a larger trackpad, and is equipped with a USB-C port. There's a standard 13-inch model and a new larger 15-inch model that uses AMD Ryzen Surface Edition chips.
Pricing on the Surface Laptop 3 starts at $999 for the 13-inch model and $1199 for the 15-inch model, with Microsoft planning to release both later this month.
Microsoft's final product of note is the new Surface Earbuds, which are wire-free earbuds that are designed to compete with Apple's AirPods. The Surface Earbuds have an unusual look, with an in-ear piece that fits into the ear and a circular disk that's quite large and sits in the outer part of the ear.
The disk supports gestures for controlling playback and live transcription for communicating across multiple languages. Microsoft is charging $249 for its Surface Earbuds, and they'll be available later in the year.
Apple today filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration policy. Apple has filed many briefs before the Court, but this is the first time that Apple's CEO Tim Cook and Vice President of Retail and People Deirdre O'Brien are named too.
DACA provides around 800,000 individuals who entered the U.S. at age 16 or younger with a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation, and eligibility for a work permit in the country. Many of these individuals, known as Dreamers, have lived in the U.S. for the majority of their lives.
In its brief, Apple notes that it employs 443 Dreamers who come from more than 25 different countries spanning four continents. Dreamers at Apple run the gamut of roles within the company, including hardware engineering, software engineering, retail, customer support, and operations across 36 states.
Apple says it would "quite literally not exist without a brilliant and driven population of immigrants," including Dreamers, adding that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs's father immigrated from Syria himself. Apple also mentions several studies that link a diverse workforce to a company's growth and success.
The introduction of Apple's brief:
Since 1976, Apple has made its name by designing, developing, selling, and maintaining cutting-edge consumer electronics including mobile communications devices, personal computers, and related software and services. Apple's success stems from its people. They shape and embody Apple's culture of innovation. Apple employs a diverse workforce of over 90,000 employees in the United States alone.
Among those people are hundreds of DACA recipients who had no say in the decision to travel to this country and have known no other home. Apple employs DACA recipients who embody Apple's commitment to innovation in a wide variety of positions. As we explain below, they, and immigrants like them, are vital to Apple's success. They spark creativity and help drive innovation. They are among our most driven and selfless colleagues.
And the conclusion:
This is an issue where one's head and heart lead to the same conclusion. We collectively owe it to the Dreamers to hold up our end of the bargain. It is not just a legal requirement. It is the moral thing to do. Who are we as a country if we renege? What does it say about us as a people to turn our backs on the Dreamers now?
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider the legality of DACA during its 2019 term, which begins Monday, October 7.
Along with Deep Fusion for the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models, the iOS 13.2 developer beta that Apple released today also includes a few other major changes and updates that are worth noting.
Below, we've rounded up all of the changes that we've found in iOS 13.2 so far.
- Announce Messages With Siri - The feature that's designed to allow Siri to announce incoming messages has been reenabled in iOS 13.2, and can be turned on by going to Settings > Siri > Search and toggling on Announce Messages.
- Research Privacy Settings - iOS 13.2 has a new Research option in the Privacy section of the Settings app, which is for Apple's upcoming Research app. The Research app is not yet available, but the presence of the setting in iOS 13.2 suggests it may come when iOS 13.2 is released.
- AirPlay & Handoff - The Handoff section of the Settings app (under General) is now AirPlay & Handoff with a new "Transfer to HomePod" option and an option to turn off automatic AirPlay to TVs.
- Volume in Control Center - When you have AirPods, Beats Pro, BeatsX, or other Beats headphones connected to your iPhone or iPad, the volume control bar in Control Center will display an appropriate icon.
- HomeKit Grouping - In the HomeKit app, there's a new option to group or ungroup accessories that have multiple functions, showing them either as a single tile or as multiple tiles. Multiple tiles was the pre-iOS 13 default, while Single Tile is the iOS 13 default.
- New AirPods - As we reported earlier today, the iOS 13.2 beta contains images that unveil an upcoming AirPods design for the third-generation AirPods, which are rumored to have active noise canceling functionality.
Know of a feature that's new in iOS 13.2 that we left out? Make sure to let us know in the comments and we'll update this article.
Apple has been rumored to be working on a third generation of AirPods with active noise control (ANC), also known as noise cancellation, or active noise reduction (ANR). Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested the updated AirPods could launch late this year or early next year with an "all-new design."
Today's iOS 13.2 beta release includes an icon showing redesigned AirPods that appear to have rubber ear tips that would likely be needed as part of a noise cancelation feature.
The file name includes reference to a B298 code name, and the image is contained in the Accessibility Settings folder. This could suggest these new AirPods will contain a new accessibility feature such as being able to use them as hearing aids, or it could be related to existing Live Listen capabilities.
There's no specific word on when the new AirPods could debut, but Apple has a number of rumored pending announcements that could point toward an October media event.
Update 11:55 AM: As noted by a MacRumors reader, a claimed photo leak last month from 52 Audio bears a strong resemblance to the image found in iOS 13.2, suggesting the leak may be accurate.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 13.2 update to developers for testing purposes, a little over one week after releasing the tvOS 13 update.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 13.2 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.
tvOS updates (aside from major releases) have historically been minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than major outward-facing changes. Apple provides little to no information on what's included in tvOS updates, so we may not discover anything new after installing the new beta.
Though we don't often know what's new in tvOS updates, we let MacRumors readers know when new software is available so developers are able to download it upon release.
If we find anything new in the tvOS 13.2 beta, we'll update this article.
tvOS 13, released earlier in September, introduced multi-user support, a new Control Center, Apple Arcade and controller support, new screensavers and more.
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 6.1 beta to developers, a little over a week after seeding the first watchOS 6.1 beta and two weeks after releasing the watchOS 6 update with full App Store, new Apple Watch faces, and more.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have over 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
There were no major changes found in the first watchOS 6.1 beta, so it's not entirely clear what's included in the update, but we'll update this article should new features be found in the second beta. The update may be focused on bug fixes and under-the-hood performance improvements.
watchOS 6.1 does work with the Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watch models, which were excluded from the watchOS 6 release.
Apple said that watchOS 6 would come to the older Apple Watch models at a later date, so it's possible watchOS 6.1 will be the first version of watchOS 6 to work with the Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watches.
Apple today released the first betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.2 updates to developers, just a week after the release of iOS 13.1 and two weeks after the iOS 13 update first debuted.
iOS and iPadOS 13.2 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed.
As announced yesterday, the iOS 13.2 update introduces Deep Fusion for the cameras in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models. Deep Fusion is a new image processing system that uses the A13 Bionic and the Neural Engine. Deep Fusion takes advantage of machine learning techniques to do pixel-by-pixel processing of photos, optimizing for texture, details, and noise in each part of the image.
The feature is aimed at improving indoor photos and photos taken in medium lighting, and it's a feature that will automatically activate based on the lens being used and the light level in the room.
Today's update also reintroduces the Announce with Siri feature for Messages, brings new Privacy controls for Apple's upcoming research app, and it even leaked an upcoming AirPods design. For a list of everything new in iOS 13.2, make sure to check out our article outlining the new features.
Update: Apple has also seeded the iOS and iPadOS 13.2 betas to its public beta testing group.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced three years ago in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 93 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Resource Timing, SVG, Web API, Web Inspector, Accessibility, Apple Pay, JavaScript, WebGPU, Web Authentication, and WebDriver.
The new Safari Technology Preview update is available for both macOS Mojave and MacOS Catalina, the newest version of the Mac operating system that was introduced at the June Worldwide Developers Conference.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
The new Apple Watch Series 5 models come equipped with an always on display, a feature new in 2019. With the always on display, some element of the screen is always lit, even when the wrist is down.
It's a good way to keep an eye on the time or to keep track of a workout without needing to raise a wrist, but its use at this time requires compromising on battery life.
Though Apple says the Apple Watch Series 5 offers the same 18-hour "all day" battery life as the Series 4 model, a multitude of complaints on the MacRumors forums and the Apple Support forums suggest that's not the case.
A 36-page forum thread is filled with battery life complaints about the Apple Watch Series 5, starting from September 20, the day the device was released. MacRumors reader Radeon85, for example, said that he was seeing significant battery drain until he turned off the always on display.
Battery life coming from an S4 to the S5, battery life I find is not great. From a 100% charge on my S5 I was losing about 5% an hour doing nothing, it stayed like this for a few hours. To test I turned off the always on display and battery life immediately improved, for the next few hours I was losing at most doing nothing about 2% an hour which is pretty much close to where my S4/S3 and S2 were.
For me the battery killer is the always on display.
Several of us here at MacRumors have the new Apple Watch Series 5 with always on display and have indeed experienced our Apple Watch batteries draining much more quickly than the prior Series 4 models. Workouts, LTE, and other battery draining functions combined with always on can result in major drops in battery life. As described by MacRumors reader Yachtmac:
I am really getting shocking battery life during workouts. Today I did a 35 min indoor workout. Elliptical and played an on watch playlist and the battery ran down from 69% to 21% during this workout. I thought things were going really well when I left for the gym with 69% available since coming off the charger at 7.00am.
I have Siri and Noise monitoring off but AOD on! I am thinking of returning this and sticking with the series 3 as it was excellent for this type of usage.
Battery problems don't appear to be limited to the Apple Watch Series 5, which suggests that watchOS 6 is also perhaps impacting battery life. The Noise app may be one culprit, and some users have also cited cellular connectivity, though both Cellular and GPS models appear to be affected by battery life problems.
MacRumors forum member Michael says that since watchOS 6 was released, his Apple Watch Series 4 battery has been dying faster, a sentiment echoed by many other MacRumors readers who have noticed issues since beta. From MacRumors reader Canyonblue737:
I've had my S4 on watchOS 6 for 4 days now to settle in. I do have the noise app set to monitor. Today in 17 hours off the charger I went from 100% to 32%, no workouts today, 5 hours 18 minutes usage 16 hours 57 minutes standby.
I feel prior to OS 6 with no workout I would have been about 40-50% with the same usage so yes it is higher but I still make it through the day.
On the Apple Watch Series 5, battery life can be improved by disabling Always On under the Display & Brightness section of the Apple Watch app on iPhone, but on the Series 4, it's less clear what might be causing problems.
MacRumors readers have reported some fixes that have helped improve battery life on both the Series 4 and Series 5, such as force restarting the device or unpairing and re-pairing, but there does not appear to be a single solution that has worked for everyone.
Apple has already updated watchOS to version 6.0.1, and that update fixed some bugs, but according to the release notes, it did not address battery life. watchOS 6.0.1 may include some battery optimizations though, as there are some reports on the forums of improvements after updating. From MacRumors reader Haruhiko:
after upgrading my watch to 6.0.1 and disabled music syncing in iPhone watch app, music, the battery life of my series 5 has returned to normal. Unplugged at ~11am this morning and now it's 11pm and the watch still has 61% battery. I have always on display and noise detection on.
Apple has also released the first beta of a watchOS 6.1 update to developers, and that update seems to include some battery fixes. We've heard reports from forum members that watchOS 6.1 significantly improves battery life, and in our own experience, we've also seen better battery life after installing the update. From MacRumors forum member Rogertoh16:
I have 2x series 5, me and my wife. Wife is 6.0.1 and I am in beta 6.1. We have 1 common thing turn off the noise detection. Her’s 6.0.1 battery drain more then mine 6.1 and she don’t work out daily which I am. We will wake up 6.30am morning and and walk our boy to school, work and come back home around 9.30pm. Hers will only left with 10-13% battery where mine left with 45%. Both IOS is 13.1.2. And it been 2 day straight same result even before 6.0.1. I think Apple need to release the watchOS 6.1 quick.
watchOS 6.1 is still in the early stages of beta testing so additional optimizations could be added before the software sees a release, and many of the battery life woes associated with watchOS 6 and the Series 5 could be addressed soon.
Are you experiencing battery life issues either with the Series 5 or with an older Apple Watch updated to watchOS 6? Let us know in the comments.
Today we're highlighting two new deals: one is a new low price on Apple's 27-inch iMac from Early 2019, and the other focuses on the first price drops we've seen for Apple's official Leather Cases for the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
27-Inch iMac
You can get the 27-inch Retina iMac with a 3.7 GHz 6-core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and a 2TB Fusion Drive for $2,099.00, down from $2,299.00. At $200 off, this price is the lowest that we've tracked for this high-end model of the new 27-inch Retina iMac.
Apple updated the iMac with 8th- and 9th-generation Intel processors in March 2019, also including faster memory and new Radeon Pro Vega graphics options. Be sure to head to Amazon soon to check out the new discount before it expires.
iPhone 11 Pro Leather Cases
There are a few sales on the new official Apple Leather Case for the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, which can be found at Amazon and Target.
On Amazon, you can get the Leather Case in Saddle Brown for the iPhone 11 Pro priced at $39.99, down from $49.00 ($9 off). Amazon isn't discounting the Leather Cases for the iPhone 11 Pro Max at the time of writing.
Target customers can choose some items to be picked up at their local store, but if that is not an option you can opt for free two day shipping. If you have a Target Red Card, you can also save an additional 5 percent on the Leather Cases.
Head to our full Deals Roundup for more information on the latest Apple-related discounts.
An appeals court in London has reinstated a lawsuit filed against Google that accuses the company of unlawfully gathering personal information by circumventing the iPhone's default privacy settings, according to Bloomberg.
The collective action, equivalent to a class action lawsuit in the United States, alleged that Google illegally tracked and gathered the personal data of over four million iPhone users in the U.K. between 2011 and 2012. The case was first brought in November 2017 and had been dismissed in October 2018.
"This case, quite properly if the allegations are proved, seeks to call Google to account for its allegedly wholesale and deliberate misuse of personal data without consent, undertaken with a view to a commercial profit," wrote Judge Geoffrey Vos in a ruling today, per the report.
A similar lawsuit was filed in the United States in 2012, when Google was discovered to be circumventing privacy protections in Safari on iOS in order to track users through ads on numerous popular websites.
Specifically, Google took advantage of a Safari loophole that made the browser think that the user was interacting with a given ad, thus allowing a tracking cookie to be installed. With that cookie installed, it became easy for Google to add additional cookies and to track users across the web.
At the time, Safari blocked several types of tracking, but made an exception for websites where a person interacted in some way — by filling out a form, for example. Google added code to some of its ads that made Safari think that a person was submitting an invisible form to Google, thus creating a temporary cookie.
Google stopped this practice after it was reported by The Wall Street Journal, and refuted many details of the report, while Apple closed the loophole in a Safari update shortly after. Google also paid a then-record $22.5 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission over its practices back in 2012.
"Protecting the privacy and security of our users has always been our No. 1 priority," a Google spokeswoman told Bloomberg. "This case relates to events that took place nearly a decade ago and that we addressed at the time."
Apple plans to release a software update later this year that will make Siri more flexible with third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp, Skype, and Facebook Messenger, the company told Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Specifically, the update will enable Siri to default to the messaging app that a person uses most frequently to communicate with a given contact. For example, if an iPhone user almost always messages a friend via WhatsApp, Siri will automatically use WhatsApp rather than Apple's own iMessage.
It will still not be possible to straight-up set third-party apps as default on an iPhone. Instead, the report claims Siri will decide which messaging app to use based on interactions with specific contacts. App Store developers will need to enable the new Siri functionality in their apps when available.
Currently, users must specify the third-party app they wish to use to message someone, such as "message John with WhatsApp." Following the software update, a user could simply say "message John" and Siri would automatically know to do so via WhatsApp if it is the most frequently used app in that case.
This functionality will later be expanded to third-party phone apps for calls as well, but no timeframe was specified.
In a statement, Apple also defended the competitive landscape of the App Store in response to another Bloomberg story claiming that Apple's default apps have a growing edge over third-party options in the App Store:
Apple offers our users an experience that is only possible from the integration of hardware, software, and services. From the very first iPhone, we have included apps to provide customers with a great experience right out of the box for making phone calls, playing music, surfing the web, and more. With every generation of iPhone we have advanced the built in capabilities for our customers with a few default apps designed for great performance, long battery life, seamless integration, and industry-leading protections for security and privacy. We have also created the App Store, the safest place to get apps, so customers can choose from millions of apps to find the ones that further enhance their iPhone. In the few categories where Apple also has an app, we have many successful competitors and we're proud that their success is responsible for almost 2 million U.S. jobs in a thriving multibillion dollar market for developers. Our North Star is always to create the best products for our customers and that is why iPhone has the highest customer satisfaction in the industry.
Apple added that the Stories tab in the App Store has exclusively promoted Apple's own software only one percent of the time.
Apple today 
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