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Jon Prosser: Apple to Announce New 'iPhone SE' Today With Pricing Starting at $399

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Apple's widely rumored successor to the iPhone SE will be announced at 8 a.m. Pacific Time aka 11 a.m. Eastern Time today, according to Jon Prosser of the YouTube channel Front Page Tech. This would line up with a tweet from Prosser a few weeks ago that claimed the device would be announced on April 15.

iPhone SE2 Maybe
Prosser adds that the device will be called the "iPhone SE" and start at $399 in the United States. The new iPhone SE is expected to be an upgraded version of the iPhone 8, with a 4.7-inch display and a Touch ID home button, but with a faster A13 chip and an increased 3GB of RAM. It is said to come in white, black, or red with up to 256GB of storage.

This would be the same device that has commonly been referred to as the "iPhone 9" in rumors.


Related Forum: iPhone
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Deals: Get the 44mm Stainless Steel Apple Watch Series 5 With Cellular Support for $649 on Amazon ($100 Off)

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Amazon today discounted a few Apple Watch Series 5 models to notable low prices, including a new Amazon low price on the 44mm Space Black Stainless Steel Apple Watch Series 5 (cellular). This model is now on sale for $649.00, down from an original price of $749.00, and comes with a Black Sport Band.

series 5 ss saleNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

We've previously tracked this model of the Apple Watch on sale for $699.00, similar to the current sale price of the same model with a White Sport Band. Below you can find this sale among other cellular Apple Watch Series 5 models on sale right now.

$100 OFF
Stainless Steel Apple Watch Series 5 for $649.00

Series 5 GPS + Cellular

40mm

44mm

Many of the Apple Watch Series 5 models on sale today are facing shipping delays and won't arrive until May. Be sure to head to Amazon to browse the full range of its Apple Watch Series 5 discounts before they expire.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch 11, Apple Deals
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)
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Twelve South's New 'ColorKit' Accessory Changes Shade of Your MacBook Pro to Aqua, Coral, and More

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Twelve South today launched a new accessory called the "ColorKit for MacBook," which is a solid color wrap for the top, bottom, and inside of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. When applied, ColorKit changes the shade of the MacBook to Aqua, Coral, Black, Forest Green, or Deep Rose.

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ColorKit also includes a cover for the ‌MacBook Pro‌'s keyboard, so that your keys will match the color of the outside of the notebook. The accessory leaves cutouts for the ‌MacBook Pro‌'s speakers, as well as the Thunderbolt 3 ports and headphone jack.

Twelve South said that ColorKit uses a lightweight adhesive that holds the wrap in place, and leaves no residue when removed. This means that if you don't get the application exactly right, you can peel them off and reposition. The accessory is also described as protecting your ‌MacBook Pro‌ from scratches and discoloration.

ColorKit is available for the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ for $29.99 on Twelve South's website.

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

Tag: Twelve South
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Google Plans to Reduce Nest Camera Quality to Ease Network Strain

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Google plans to lower the quality of its Nest cameras to preserve internet bandwidth as large numbers of adults and children work and play online amid the continuing stay-at-home measures.

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A spokesperson for the company told TechCrunch that it will lower camera quality settings by default this week.

"To answer the global call to prioritize internet bandwidth for learning and working, in the next few days we're going to be making a few changes. We believe these changes have the potential to help make it easier for communities to keep up with school, work, and everything in between."

When the change takes effect, users will see video quality settings revert to Default (the middle setting between Low and High). Users can if they wish change the setting back to a higher quality at any time. Google plans to roll back the settings to users' previous preferences when broadband network traffic eventually eases off.

Many streaming companies have already taken similar precautions, with Disney+, YouTube, Netflix, and Apple TV+ all cutting streaming data bitrates in Europe last month.

Most of these changes began in Europe after the European Union asked companies to temporarily reduce streaming quality to ease the strain on broadband networks. Similar policies have since spread to the United States and other countries.

Tags: Google, Nest
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Apple Announces App Store Price Changes in Barbados, Moldova, and Uzbekistan

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Apple today announced that, in the next few days, prices of App Store apps and in-app purchases, excluding auto-renewable subscriptions, will be changed in Barbados, Moldova, and Uzbekistan due to new value-added taxes.

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Aside from the price changes, Apple says a low value-added tax was also introduced in Malaysia. Prices on the ‌App Store‌ in Malaysia will not change and developer proceeds will be adjusted accordingly.

According to Apple, the Pricing and Availability section of My Apps in ‌App Store‌ Connect will update automatically with the new pricing information once the changes go live.

Tag: App Store
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Florida Court Dismisses Lawsuit Claiming Apple 'Broke' FaceTime on Older iPhones to Save Costs

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A court in Florida has dismissed a consumer lawsuit alleging that Apple intentionally "broke" FaceTime on older iPhones as a cost-saving measure (via Bloomberg Law).

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In 2017, a similar class-action lawsuit was brought against Apple in California that claimed Apple broke ‌FaceTime‌ in iOS 6 to force users to upgrade to iOS 7. According to the lawsuit, Apple forced users to upgrade so it could avoid payments on a data deal with Akamai.

Apple agreed in February to settle the lawsuit in California, but the federal court in the Florida case ruled on Tuesday that the claims against Apple did not meet timeliness requirements. According to U.S. District Court Judge Raag Singhal, the complainants had several chances to file suit against Apple, but didn't lodge their complaint until August 2019.

Apple used two connection methods when it launched ‌FaceTime‌ in 2010: a peer-to-peer method that created a direct connection between two iPhones, and a relay method that used data servers from content delivery network company Akamai Technologies.

Apple's peer-to-peer ‌FaceTime‌ technology was found to infringe on VirnetX's patents in 2012, however, so the company began to shift toward the relay method, which used Akamai's servers. Within a year, Apple was paying $50 million in fees to Akamai, according to testimony from the VirnetX trial.

Apple eventually solved the problem by creating new peer-to-peer technology that would debut in iOS 7. The class-action lawsuits, however, alleged that Apple created a fake bug that caused a digital certificate to prematurely expire on April 16, 2014, breaking ‌FaceTime‌ on iOS 6.

The lawsuits claimed that breaking ‌FaceTime‌ in iOS 6 allowed Apple to save money because it would no longer need to support users who did not upgrade to iOS 7.

Tags: FaceTime Guide, Apple Lawsuits
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NBC Streaming Service 'Peacock' Launching for Some Comcast Customers Tomorrow

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NBCUniversal's streaming service, Peacock, is launching for free to some Comcast customers tomorrow, reports Reuters.

nbc peacock
The service, which has been in the works for quite some time, will see a wide launch in July 2020 with upwards of 7,500 hours of programming that includes NBC shows and Universal movies, but it is launching early for some Comcast customers.

Peacock will feature a library of existing TV shows and movies like "30 Rock" and "Jurassic Park," along with a limited slate of original TV shows. Peacock is also set to include live sports access, curated shorts, breaking news coverage, and more. Providing access to live sports and live news will allow NBC to differentiate the Peacock service from Disney+, Netflix, and Apple TV+.

People who subscribe to Comcast's Xfinity X1 or Flex TV services will be able to access Peacock Premium for free starting Wednesday. The Premium package will include more than 15,000 hours of content.

Peacock Premium will launch for everyone on July 15 and it will cost $5 per month. A free version will also be available in July, but it won't have quite as much content, and there will be an ad-free tier as well that's priced at $10 per month.

Tags: NBC, Peacock
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Concept Imagines Augmented Reality Apple Card That Shows Balance Info

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Apple has been working on augmented reality features for its iPhones and iPads for some time now, and while there are some AR capabilities built into various apps, Apple could do a lot more to take advantage of the AR features in its devices.


A new concept imagined by Volodymyr Kurbatov and shared on YouTube (via Cult of Mac) features augmented reality functionality added to the Apple Card.

When the ‌Apple Card‌ is viewed with an AR app or an AR headset, it displays quick access ‌Apple Card‌ info such as total balance and recent transactions, all in a handy list. It even imagines a feature that would allow for swiping through information or editing card info via gesture, which isn't really something that AR apps do at this time.

Presumably this functionality would be tied to an individual ‌Apple Card‌ and linked by an identifier on the card itself, but we don't need to worry too much about the security since it doesn't exist yet.

There's no word that Apple is working on a feature such as this, but it is fun to imagine how useful this concept might be to ‌Apple Card‌ holders. Right now, accessing this info requires opening up the Wallet app on an iPhone and tapping into the ‌Apple Card‌ settings, but Apple is developing some kind of augmented reality headset that could come out as soon as next year, so features like this might not be too far off.

Tag: Concepts
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Rare Original Apple Watch Prototypes Surface

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Apple released the first Apple Watch in 2015, but prior to when the original model was released, Apple worked on the design for several years. With every new device, Apple makes multiple prototypes, and today, a few Apple Watch prototypes surfaced on the internet.

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As highlighted by Vice's Motherboard, prototype collector Giulio Zompetti has shared images of a handful of Apple Watch prototypes that he's collected, all of which look similar to the first Apple Watch that Apple debuted, but with some unique differences in design and sensor placement.

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Zompetti said that the Apple Watch prototypes were sourced from e-waste facilities, and while they're all broken, key components are intact and it is possible to repair them. His plan is to fix them and then sell them for thousands.

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Some of the Apple Watches have a unique logo that's previously been seen on iPhone prototypes, and there are markings that suggest they are authentic, such as QR codes and serial numbers seen on other Apple prototypes.


Zompetti originally shared the images on Twitter earlier this month, and while no real interesting information can be gleaned from the prototypes, it's always fun to see Apple's early work on popular devices.

Tag: Prototypes
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Deals: AirPods With Wireless Charging Case Hit Lowest Price of $149.98 ($49 Off)

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Apple's AirPods with Wireless Charging Case have reached a new low price of $149.98 today on Amazon, down from a regular price of $199.00. At $49 off, this is the lowest price we've ever seen for a new pair of AirPods with Wireless Charging Case on Amazon, and $20 below the typical sale price of $169.00.

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

These AirPods are from 2019 and come with a case that supports wireless charging on Qi-compatible charging mats. So, if you have a modern iPhone that you wirelessly charge, you'll be able to set down the AirPods on the same mat to fuel up the Bluetooth earphones.

$49 OFF
AirPods With Wireless Charging Case for $149.98

At this time, you can also save on AirPods Pro on Amazon, priced at $234.98, down from $249.00. While not quite as steep a discount, this continues to be the best price we've tracked on the AirPods Pro and the best price we've seen across numerous retailers for a new model of AirPods Pro.

We track the Best Deals on every model of the AirPods in our dedicated guide. Right now, that also includes the AirPods with Charging Case at $139.00, and the standalone Wireless Charging Case for AirPods at $69.00.

Related Roundups: AirPods 4, Apple Deals
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Neutral)
Related Forum: AirPods
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Apple Releases Apple Maps Mobility Data Trends Tool to Help Mitigate COVID-19 Spread

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Apple today announced the release of a new mobility data trends tool using information collected from from Apple Maps, which is designed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by providing helpful insights to local governments and health authorities.

applemapsmobilitydatatool
Apple believes that the data could be used as a foundation for new public policies by showing changes in the volume of people driving, walking, or taking public transit.

The mobility data site uses aggregated data collected from ‌Apple Maps‌ to show mobility trends for major cities and 63 countries or regions. Apple generates the data by counting the number of requests made to ‌Apple Maps‌ for directions.

The data sets are compared to reflect a change in the number of people who are driving, walking, or taking public transit, and Apple says that data availability in a particular place is subject to factors like minimum thresholds for direction requests made per day. With the tool, users can search by city, country, or region to see how routing requests have shifted since January 13, 2020, leading up to today. Apple also provides a complete downloadable data set that features daily changes in requests for directions by transportation type for all available countries and cities.

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Mobility data sourced from ‌Apple Maps‌ is not associated with a user's Apple ID and Apple does not keep a history of where a user has been. Data collected by Maps, such as search terms, navigation routing, and traffic information is associated with random, rotating identifiers that continually reset, which prevents a profile of movements and searches from being built.

Along with debuting its mobility trends tool, Apple today also highlighted some of the other efforts that it has made in the fight against COVID-19, such as sourcing and donating more than 30 million face masks, and creating and designing face shields.

Apple helped Stanford Medicine build a new app for first responders to screen symptoms, and has added new features to Siri and Maps. ‌Siri‌ Audio Briefs help users receive the latest news and information through the pandemic through short podcasts, and ‌Siri‌ can provide resources if asked questions about coronavirus.

In Maps, Apple is prioritizing grocery, food delivery, and medical services, and Apple has provided learning tools to parents and a selection of curated telehealth apps through the App Store.

Apple has also created a COVID-19 app and website in partnership with the CDC and others to serve as a screening tool, and it is partnering with Google on an initiative that will see the two building a Bluetooth-based privacy-focused platform for tracking COVID-19 exposure.

Tag: COVID-19 Coronavirus Guide
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Deals: Anker Discounts Wireless Chargers, Portable Batteries, Audio Accessories, and USB Hubs From $8.49

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Anker has returned this week with a huge sale on its best charging and audio accessories, ranging from portable batteries to Bluetooth speakers. The new sale has a combination of coupon codes and automatically applied discounts, so be sure to read the list below for more details.

anker april 2020 saleNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Sale prices start at just $8.49 for Anker's Ultra Slim 4-port USB Hub, and also include $19.99 wireless chargers, $10.99 wall chargers, and $31.99 portable chargers. The popular Soundcore Bluetooth Speaker is on sale for $20.99, and you'll find multiple USB-C and Lightning cables from $12.99.

Audio

Wireless Chargers

USB Hubs

Wall Chargers

Portable Chargers

Cables

Anker's storefront on Amazon is the best place to go if you want to browse a full selection of Anker accessories.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Facebook Launches New 'Kit' App for Apple Watch to Keep in Touch With Your Closest Friends

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Facebook's experimental NPE Team today has launched a new app called "Kit" or "Keep in Touch" for connecting with close friends over Messenger on the Apple Watch.

To get started, users scan a QR code on the Apple Watch, or enter an access code at fb.com/devices. Then, users select a Messenger contact and can quickly send that person a message, voice recording, emoji, or their location with a single tap.

facebook kit
While the main Facebook Messenger app already supports the Apple Watch, TechCrunch notes that Kit is focused on keeping in touch with close contacts, such as a significant other, best friend, or family member. Kit is essentially a simplified version of the Messenger app on Apple Watch for keeping in touch with only a few people.

This is the second app released by Facebook's NPE Team in the last week after "Tuned," a messaging app designed to provide a "private space" for couples to connect. "NPE" stands for "New Product Experimentation."

Kit is free on the App Store for Apple Watch only. It appears to be limited to Canada for now.

Tags: Facebook, Facebook Messenger
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Satechi Debuts New USB-C Wireless Charging Dock for AirPods and AirPods Pro

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Satechi today announced the launch of a new USB-C wireless charging dock for the AirPods and AirPods Pro, which is designed to attach to a Mac or iPad that's equipped with a USB-C port.

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The USB-C Wireless Charging Dock for Apple AirPods is a small, portable dock that plugs into the Mac and then allows the AirPods to rest on top while charging. An included LED light lets you know the AirPods are charging, and a lip around the edge keeps the AirPods in place.

As with most Satechi accessories, the AirPods Charging Dock is made from aluminum and it matches well with Apple's Macs.

satechiairpods2
Satechi is offering pre-orders for the USB-C Wireless Charging Dock for Apple AirPods on its website, and orders placed today will begin shipping in May.

The Charging Dock is priced at $29.99, but pre-order customers who purchase before April 20 and use the promo code AIRPODS at checkout can get a $5 discount, dropping the price to $24.99.

Tag: Satechi
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Apple TV Channels Gains India's 'Eros Now Select' Streaming Service Filled With Bollywood Movies and Original TV Shows

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Apple TV channels today gained a new streaming service called "Eros Now Select," which includes films and TV shows from India. Now that it's part of channels in the ‌Apple TV‌ app, customers in the United States can subscribe via iPhone, iPad, ‌Apple TV‌, iPod touch, Mac, and other platforms.

eros now select
Eros Now Select includes a catalog of Bollywood movies, original shows, short-format content, and more. Subscribers through ‌Apple TV‌ channels can watch shows online and take advantage of offline downloads. If there are multiple users in the house, family sharing supports up to six family members on one account.

Commenting on the announcement, Ali Hussein, CEO, Eros Now said, “The launch of Eros Now Select on Apple TV channels reaffirms our global presence and deepens our connection with audiences in the US by bringing them the best of Indian and international content.”

Currently, ‌Apple TV‌ channels include Cinemax, CBS All Access, Britbox, BET+, HBO, Shudder, and many more. When you subscribe to one of these platforms through the ‌Apple TV‌ app, you can pay for your subscriptions with your Apple ID account and watch all of the content in one place, without needing to download other apps.

If you want to learn how to sign up for ‌Apple TV‌ channels, you can find more information in our guide. The Eros Now website also has additional details on its available films and shows.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: Apple TV and Home Theater
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Google Readies Custom Chip for Pixel Phones and Chromebooks

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Google has made significant progress toward developing its own custom-made main processor in recent weeks, reports Axios.

According to the report, Google's Pixel phones could be powered by the processors as soon as next year – a potential blow to Qualcomm, which currently supplies Google with the main processor in its flagship phones.

pixel 4 google

The chip, code-named Whitechapel, was designed in cooperation with Samsung, whose state-of-the-art 5-nanometer technology would be used to manufacture the chips, according to a source familiar with Google's effort.

Google recently received its first working versions of the 8-core ARM processor, according to the report's sources. The chip is said to feature hardware optimized for machine learning, and will complement Google's existing custom Pixel chips dedicated to machine learning and image processing tasks.

Some of its silicon will also be given over to improving the performance and "always-on" capabilities of Google Assistant, according to the report.

The tech giant is said to be hoping that future versions of the processor will be suitable for its Chromebooks, but the Pixel is its first priority.

Apple was one of the first mobile device makers to design its own mobile processors, which have delivered increasingly impressive performance over recent years and allowed the company to save on costs.

Honing its chips over many iterations has enabled it to improve on already blistering speeds and add unique capabilities to its smartphones and tablets. Google has hired a number of chip experts from its rivals, including Apple, and will undoubtedly be hoping to mirror those achievements in the years to come.

Tags: Google, Google Pixel
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Over 500,000 Zoom Accounts Sold on the Dark Web and Hacker Forums

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Hundreds of thousands of Zoom accounts are being sold or given away for free on the dark web and hacker forums, according to a new report by BleepingComputer.

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Zoom has surged in popularity in recent weeks as the number of people working from home has increased, but concerns about the videoconferencing app's security have also made the headlines. However, the availability of Zoom accounts on the dark web does not appear to be a direct consequence of the app's failings.

Rather, the sale of the login details are said to be the result of "credential stuffing attacks," where hackers attempt to log in to Zoom using accounts leaked in older data breaches.

Successful logins are then collated into lists and sold on or offered for free to other hackers, with the intention of using them in zoom-bombing pranks or for malicious reasons.

The accounts are reportedly being shared via text sharing sites as lists of email addresses and password combinations. The accounts can include a victim's email address, password, personal meeting URL, and their HostKey.

500k zoom accounts

Zoom accounts sold on hacker forums

Cybersecurity firm Cyble, which was able to purchase 530,000 Zoom credentials for less than a penny each at $0.0020 per account, said the Zoom accounts began appearing in the hacker community at the beginning of April, with hackers offering the accounts to build reputation.

The finding underscores the importance of using unique passwords for each website where an account is registered. Concerned users are encouraged to check if their email address has been leaked in data breaches using the Have I Been Pwned website or Cyble's AmIBreached data breach notification service, and change their Zoom password if used elsewhere.

Tags: Security, Zoom
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Apple Shipped 2.5 Million iPhones in China in March, Rebounding Slightly From February Slump

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Apple shipped around 2.5 million iPhones in China last month, rebounding slightly after one of its worst months in the country on record (via Reuters).

iphone 11 china
Apple sold fewer than 500,000 iPhones in February amid curbs on travel and transport, amounting to an almost 60 percent slump in iPhone sales.

Mobile phone companies in general are hoping to see demand recover in China, where restrictions on movement have recently eased. Many are looking to increase sales in the country as a way to cushion declines in overseas markets in the coming months.

Meanwhile, multiple third-party resellers in China have been offering discounts on Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 11 lineup in an attempt to bolster demand during a time when consumer confidence and spending is lower.

Chinese resellers offered similar discounts on ‌iPhone‌ XS and ‌iPhone‌ XR models in early 2019, shortly after Apple lowered its revenue guidance for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year due to fewer ‌iPhone‌ upgrades than it had anticipated.

Tag: China
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