MacRumors

Nine years ago today, on August 24, 2011, Steve Jobs stepped down as Apple CEO for the final time. Jobs was immediately named Apple's chairman, with then-COO Tim Cook taking over leadership of the company.

Jobs sadly passed away just six weeks later, on October 5, one day after Apple introduced the iPhone 4s with Siri. He was 56. His death resulted in an outpouring of condolences from family, friends, colleagues, Apple fans, and notable figures around the world, ranging from Steve Wozniak to Bill Gates to former President Barack Obama.

"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being," said Cook. "Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

Apple under Cook has grown to become the world's most valuable company. While nothing has truly compared to the iPhone, perhaps the most successful consumer product of all time, one major device introduced during Cook's tenure is the Apple Watch, praised for its life-saving features like the ECG app, Emergency SOS calling, and fall detection.

Cook has previously said that Jobs' DNA will always be the foundation of Apple, which named the Steve Jobs Theater after him in 2017.

Apple may delay the iPhone 12 Pro launch due to supply chain issues with the 120Hz display, or face cancelling the feature entirely, according to display analyst Ross Young and leaker Jon Prosser.

Young explained via a Tweet that Apple is facing supply chain issues with obtaining 120Hz display driver ICs for the iPhone 12 Pro, even though it can get the correct 120Hz panels. Apple would, therefore, have to postpone the iPhone 12 Pro launch to wait for the correct driver ICs, or ship the iPhone 12 Pro without a 120Hz display. To avoid this delay, Young expects Apple to opt for standard 60Hz displays on the iPhone 12 Pro.

Young speculates that the late-stage display issues facing the iPhone 12 Pro may be explained by 120Hz not being part of the original plans for the device. He does, however, propose the possibility of Apple delaying the iPhone 12 Pro launch date until the 120Hz display is ready to ship. It is unclear how long such a delay may be. In July, Apple confirmed that it is expecting to release this year's iPhones later than usual.

The matter is "not a simple issue in this case," Young said. "Apple can move mountains, so will see. Given how badly some of you want 120Hz, perhaps they are listening will delay the launch until 120Hz is ready". Young's analysis was today largely corroborated by leaker Jon Prosser, who concurs reports of Apple continuing to internally debate the status of the iPhone 12 Pro's 120Hz display.

"Behind the scenes, Apple is still testing 120Hz, ProMotion, for iPhone 12 Pro. Specifically, at least, in this case with my sources, the 12 Pro Max," said Prosser via a video on Front Page Tech uploaded today. "120Hz is working just fine, with a manual toggle in settings on the iPhone 12 Pro Max."

ProMotion technology on the ‌iPad Pro‌ is able to dynamically adjust the display to the movement of content, resulting in more fluid scrolling, smoother motion, and improved responsiveness. The frame rate changes based on the content on the screen, preserving battery life. Prosser encouraged his followers, "don't give up on 120Hz on 12 Pro yet..."

Reports surrounding a potential 120Hz display have been extremely mixed, with some leakers such as "Ice Universe" and Max Weinbach suggesting that the feature is set to arrive with the iPhone 12 Pro. Prosser has also previously discussed the likelihood of iPhone 12 Pro models sporting ProMotion displays.

In July, Young reported that none of his contacts were able to corroborate rumors that the ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro models will feature 120Hz displays, with his sources instead indicating 120Hz technology will be coming in the 2021 iPhone refresh. Young has instead suggested that Apple will implement ProMotion in 2021 alongside the adoption of low-power LTPO displays which will allow for a variable refresh rate that preserves battery life.

It is unusual for Apple to be facing uncertainty with major features at such a late stage, with launch expected next month. As a 120Hz display is not an integral design feature of the iPhone 12 Pro, it would likely be easier to roll back plans to include the feature on this fall's devices.

The uncertainty regarding the refresh rate of the iPhone 12 Pro's display means that it is extremely difficult to say how things may pan out, but these reports cast serious doubt over the chances of a 120Hz display coming to market on the iPhone 12 Pro this year. At minimum, it appears that Apple is struggling to ship the feature with the iPhone 12 Pro.

Last week, we reported on a severe new kind of Mac malware that has been found to infect via Xcode, discovered by security researchers at Trend Micro.

In an exclusive interview with MacRumors, the security researchers behind the discovery, Oleksandr Shatkivskyi and Vlad Felenuik, have provided more information about their research.

The malware, which is part of the XCSSET family, is "an unusual infection" that is injected into Xcode projects. When the project is built, the malicious code is run. This can lead to "a rabbit hole of malicious payloads," and poses a significant risk to Mac users.

Specifically, the malware was found to be capable of abusing Safari and other browsers to steal data. It can use a vulnerability to read and dump cookies, create backdoors in JavaScript, and in turn modify displayed websites, steal private banking information and passwords, and block password changes. It was also found to be able to steal information from apps such as Evernote, Notes, Skype, Telegram, QQ, and WeChat, take screenshots, upload files to the attacker's specified server, encrypt files, and display a ransom note.

Shatkivskyi and Felenuik told MacRumors that they believe the XCSSET malware will become extremely common among bad actors who seek to exploit Mac systems. The malware is particularly dangerous because verification methods, such as checking hashes, would not identify infection. It was found to be present in projects shared on GitHub. This means that developers who rely on repositories could face a supply-chain attack and be unaware that their project has become infected.

Xcode projects infected with the malware can create maliciously modified applications, unbeknownst to the developers who make the apps, and may then distribute them as trojans. Shatkivskyi and Felenuik believe that the Mac App Store review team will be largely unable to detect apps that contain the XCSSET malware. "As an iOS developer I know how easy it is to fool them and release an app with hidden features," Shatkivskyi said.

Shatkivskyi and Felenuik first approached Apple about the issue as early as December 2019, and they hope that Apple will be decisive and swift in its response to resolving the vulnerability. They suggest that Apple could implement privacy notifications, the likes of which came to iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, to alert Mac users when the malware is active on their systems, in an effort to explicitly alert users to a potential breach.

Shatkivskyi and Felenuik did not have access to a Mac Developer Transition Kit with Apple Silicon for testing, but they believe "there is no doubt that the malware will work" on Macs running Apple Silicon. In spite of the severity of the XCSSET malware, they maintain that macOS is a safe operating system and are optimistic about the future of combating malware.

"Apple have some work to do, but still macOS is the most secure platform available. I am delighted by how Apple stands for privacy. However, I am sure that malware development will get almost impossible in the future. But it has nothing to do with the Mac transition to Apple silicon."

Going forward, the researchers caution Mac users to be alert for unusual activity with permission alerts. Any repeated or suspicious notifications asking for permissions on macOS may be an indication of an infection. Trend Micro encourages users to consider multilayered security solutions.

"In order to stay safe, you have to be somewhat paranoid. Don't allow any app to record your screen. Also, pay attention to what is running on your Mac. I never use any pirated software due to its insecurity, I use only licensed ones," Shatkivskyi said.

The pair continue to actively research other threats to macOS.

Apple today confirmed that its second-generation iPhone SE is now being assembled in India for orders placed within the country.

In a statement shared with The Times of India, Apple said "iPhone SE packs our most powerful chip into our most popular size at our most affordable price and we're excited to be making it in India for our local customers."

The new iPhone SE is being assembled by Wistron at its facility in Bengaluru, according to the report. Wistron also assembles iPhone 7 models in India, and in the past, it has assembled the original iPhone SE and the iPhone 6s in the country. Last week, it was reported that Wistron could start assembling iPhone 12 models in India next year as well.

Apple's largest manufacturing partner Foxconn has also made a push into India, where it now assembles iPhone 11 and iPhone XR models.

Wistron and Foxconn are among a growing number of Apple suppliers that have shifted more production to countries like India and Vietnam amid the U.S.-China trade war. Foxconn, which reportedly plans to invest up to $1 billion to expand its Indian operations, recently said that China's "days as the world's factory are done."

Foxconn and Pegatron are among several companies eyeing new factories in Mexico as well, possibly for iPhone assembly, according to Reuters.

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.

Apple today announced that it will donate $10 to the National Park Foundation for each purchase made with Apple Pay on Apple.com, through the Apple Store app, or at an Apple Store in the United States from August 24 through August 30. Apple is limiting its donations to the first 100,000 transactions of $10 or more.

The National Park Foundation, the official charitable partner of the National Park Service, raises funds to directly support, protect, and manage America's national parks.

"Our national parks strengthen our connection to nature, to one another, and to the soul of our nation," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. "We're excited to continue building on our four-year partnership with the National Park Foundation, and to support their work to preserve our parks for generations to come."

As noted by Kyle Seth Gray, there will also be a national parks-themed Activity Challenge for Apple Watch users on August 30. Users can earn the award by completing a hike, walk, run, or wheelchair workout of a mile (1.6km) or longer. The workout can be completed from any location, so visiting a national park is not necessary.

All national parks across the United States will waive entrance fees on August 25 in celebration of the National Park Service's birthday.

Update: In a press release tied to this announcement, Apple has also indicated that it is making special national parks content available in the Apple TV app, Apple Music, and the App Store.

The Apple TV app will feature a national parks highlight on the Watch Now page, including "Aerial America" from the Smithsonian Channel, along with other relevant shows and movies that explore and celebrate the natural world. In the App Store, customers can check out a collection of its most popular apps for safely exploring the outdoors, including AllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run (AllTrails, Inc.), National Park Trail Guide (Adventure Projects Inc.), PeakVisor (Routes Software SRL), and other guides to parks and trails around the world. And Apple Music will feature its updated Nature Awaits playlist, so even if users can't make it out to the parks, they can hit play and let their imaginations wander.

Billie Eilish, Orville Peck, Megan Thee Stallion, and Anderson Paak are among the artists featured in a colorful new Apple Music ad shared on YouTube over the weekend. The video is titled "Worldwide," reflecting Apple Music's availability in 165 countries.

"Apple Music brings you closer than ever to iconic artists, rising stars, new discoveries, and legendary entertainers," the video description says.

Last week, Apple renamed its worldwide radio station Beats 1 to Apple Music 1. The station can be accessed through the Radio tab in the Music app across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other devices, with no Apple Music subscription required.

Launched in 2015, the newly renamed Apple Music 1 is a 24-hour live radio station broadcast by Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden, and other DJs out of studios in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, and London. Apple describes the station as "the center for pop culture conversation and artist-led programming, and the global destination for artists from around the world to release new music, break news, and speak directly to their fans."

After becoming the first U.S. company to reach a market capitalization of $2 trillion last week, Apple's stock continues to soar as investors pour money into the company. Apple's stock officially opened this morning above the $500 mark, up another 3.5% to $515.

Apple and other tech heavyweights have seen their share prices rise significantly since market lows in March, with Apple more than doubling from its low of $224.

Apple's time as a $500+ stock will be short-lived even if it doesn't drop due to market trading, as the company's four-for-one stock split will take place at the close of trading on Friday, lowering Apple's share price to around $125. Apple's overall market value will be unchanged, however, as shareholders will receive three additional shares for each share they currently own.

Amazon is now matching the price of the AirPods Pro that we've been tracking at Verizon over the past few weeks, allowing customers to purchase the noise-cancelling headphones for $219.99, down from $249.00.

The AirPods Pro have gone down to a slightly lower price of $214 in new condition this year, but this $30 discount remains the most consistent sale, and it should be easier for more people to take advantage of thanks to Amazon.

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

No discount code is required to get the deal, and Amazon has the AirPods Pro in stock so shipping should be within the next few days. Amazon also includes 90 days of Amazon Music Unlimited for free with the purchase of the AirPods Pro.

AirPods Pro are Apple's high-end headphones, with support for Active Noise Cancellation. The AirPods Pro also have overall better sound quality than the AirPods, and custom silicone ear-tips that provide a more snug fit for different ear sizes.

We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.

Apple's South Korea business has offered to make a 100 billion won ($84 million) payout to support small businesses and help consumers, according to the country's competition watchdog (via Reuters).

The Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) investigated Apple Korea in 2016 for requiring SK Telecom, KT Corp, and LG Uplus Corp to pay the cost of television advertisements and warranty service for its iPhones. The probe found that Apple holds a clear advantage over local mobile carriers and that handing over the cost of advertisements was another means of squeezing the profits of the carriers.

In June of this year, the antitrust regulator decided to allow Apple to map out a set of measures to address its anti-competitive business practices in the country, and Apple has now agreed to fix unfair terms with mobile carriers as part of its proposal. Apple said it will discuss how to share advertising costs with telecoms firms, which will help reduce burdens to carriers, the KFTC said in a briefing.

Apple has reportedly pledged to offer 40 billion won ($34 million) to build a center to support research and development for Korea's small manufacturers and 25 billion won ($21 million) to establish an "academy" to provide education to developers. The rest of the 100 billion won would be used to give consumer discounts on warranty repair costs and other benefits, according to Reuters.

Provided the KFTC accepts Apple's offer, the regulator will close the case and conclude that Apple has not done anything illegal.

Even if that does happen though, Apple could be facing another probe by Korean regulators for its business practices. Last week, an alliance of app developers and small companies submitted a petition to the Korea Communications Commission asking for an investigation into whether Apple and Google may be violating Korean laws on in-app purchases and anti-competitive behavior.

A group of WeChat users has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in an effort to block an executive order that would ban the app in the United States, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Earlier this month, President Trump signed two executive orders that would officially ban any U.S. transactions with ByteDance and Tencent, the Chinese companies that own TikTok and WeChat, respectively. The order will be enacted on September 20, but TikTok can avoid a ban if an American company can agree a deal to acquire its U.S. operations before that date.

Filed by the WeChat Users Alliance and several other plaintiffs in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, the lawsuit claims the executive order to ban WeChat is unconstitutional and violates the right to free speech. It also claims the ban illegally targets Chinese-Americans who use WeChat to communicate with Chinese citizens. An attorney for the group, which is made up of people who depend on WeChat for personal and business purposes, says it is hoping that the Trump administration will have to clarify which WeChat transactions would be subject to the ban.

WeChat is extremely popular with Chinese mobile device users, essentially operating as its own platform on top of iOS and Android for many users, but the app is also widely used around the world and has over 1.2 billion monthly active users.

It's still unclear whether the ban applies to the WeChat app only in the United States or if it will result in the removal of the WeChat app from iPhones across the globe. At any rate, any ban would be bad news for Apple. In a worst-case scenario, Apple's annual global iPhone shipments could decline by 25–30% if it is forced to remove WeChat from its App Stores around the world, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a Weibo survey, 95 percent of the 1.2 million people who responded said they would switch to an Android smartphone over an ‌iPhone‌ rather than give up WeChat.

Over the weekend, TikTok also confirmed it plans to sue the Trump administration over the executive order, perhaps as early as Monday. ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is believed to be in talks with Microsoft about the software giant acquiring the app's U.S. operations. Other companies including Twitter are also reportedly in talks with TikTok.

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.

Apple today announced the imminent opening of Apple Marina Bay Sands, its third and arguably most distinctive retail store in the country of Singapore.

Apple Marina Bay Sands has a unique dome-like design unlike any other Apple store. The spherical structure sits on a body of water that was previously occupied by the mega-nightclub Avalon on Singapore's Marina Bay, home to the country's most renowned integrated luxury resort.

Apple's webpage for the retail location says the company will "soon open the doors" to the new store, which will be the third to open in the region in just over three years.

We will soon open the doors to our new store by the Bay. Apple Marina Bay Sands will be at the heart of creativity, a place we’ve made for you to capture your ideas and passions. It will be a space for you to explore, connect and create something new. We can't wait to see where your imagination takes you.

Apple's iconic Jewel store opened in Singapore's main airport in July of last year. The company opened its first Singapore store in May 2017 at Knightsbridge mall in Orchard Road. Apple Orchard Road was also the first Apple store to open its doors in South-east Asia.

In this week's App Recap, we've highlighted productivity app "Done," photo and video app "RTRO," and finance app "Subtrack" as three apps that are worth checking out.

Apps to Check Out

• Done: A Simple Habit Tracker (iOS, One-Time Purchase) - Done, an app designed to help users create healthy routines, features the ability to set goals and track progress for daily habits. Each habit can be customized with a unique color bar, reminders, notes, the ability to be set for multiple times per day, and more. All habit data with totals and time stamps can also be conveniently exported in a CSV file. The app is free to download, and users have the option to purchase Done's $8.99 one-time upgrade to track more than three habits at once.
  

• RTRO - Camera by Moment (iOS, Subscription) - RTRO features a vintage video camera in which users can record up to 60 seconds of video at once. The app features filter-like "looks" that add a neat touch to content. Users can shoot video at 6, 12, 18, 24, or 30 frames per second, and videos can be trimmed or cropped to a 16:9, 4:3, or 1:1 aspect ratio. Once the shooting and editing process has been completed, users can save the video or export it to social media platforms. Three looks are available for free upon downloading the app, but each additional look costs $1.99. Users can subscribe to RTRO+, which is available in either a subscription priced at $3.99 per month and $19.99 per year or a one-time purchase of $49.99, to gain access to all looks, edit videos from the device's camera roll, control the video frame rate, and more.
• Subtrack (iOS & Mac, One-Time Purchase) - Subtrack is an app that lets users easily track subscriptions. The app's simple interface makes is quite easy to visualize total and average spending over various time periods. Subtrack's syncs all subscription data through iCloud, so no signup is required. The app's developers have emphasized the importance of user privacy, as the app was designed to not collect any personal data. Although Subtrack is free to download, there's an in-app purchase of $2.99 to track more than three subscriptions at once, export subscriptions in a single CSV file, and access over 20 custom app icons.

Are you using a great new app we've missed? Let us know in the comments and we'll check it out for next week's App Recap. Are you a developer of a unique app you'd like us to consider? Send us a message through our tip line at the top of the page and we'll check it out.

Fortnite creator Epic Games has argued that Apple's plan to terminate its Developer Program membership would be "overbroad retaliation" and "an unlawful effort to maintain its monopoly and chill any action by others who might dare oppose Apple."

Earlier this month, Epic Games strategically violated Apple's rules regarding in-app purchases by introducing its own direct payment option for in-game currency in its hit game Fortnite on iOS. Apple promptly removed Fortnite from the App Store and subsequently informed Epic Games that its Developer Program membership would be terminated within two weeks unless it resubmits Fortnite without the direct payment option.

By having its Developer Program membership terminated, Epic Games would not only lose its ability to develop Fortnite for iOS, but also its popular game engine Unreal Engine for iOS and macOS, which thousands of developers rely on for their games.

In a court filing [PDF] today, Epic Games said that multiple Unreal Engine licensees have contacted the company "expressing grave concern over Apple's actions and its impact on their iOS and macOS-bound projects," including Microsoft.

In a declaration in support of Epic Games [PDF], Microsoft gaming executive Kevin Gammill wrote that "Apple's discontinuation of Epic's ability to develop and support Unreal Engine for iOS or macOS will harm game creators and gamers." Specifically, Gammill said that games utilizing Unreal Engine will be put at a "substantial disadvantage," citing Microsoft's own racing game Forza Street for iPhone and iPad as an example.

Apple has argued that Epic Games committed "self-inflicted wounds" by intentionally violating its rules, noting that it could have proceeded with its lawsuit without introducing a direct payment option in the Fortnite app. Apple has also said that it would be happy to have Fortnite back on the App Store if Epic Games addresses the violations.

A hearing related to Epic Games' request for a preliminary injunction, which would force Apple to put Fortnite back on the App Store during the legal proceedings, is set for tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time in California court.

Twitter user @DongleBookPro has today shared images of a prototype first-generation Mac mini with a built-in dock for an iPod nano.

The images show a first-generation ‌Mac mini‌ with a 30-pin dock connector cutout on the top for an iPod nano. Otherwise, the computer appears to be virtually identical to the version that came to market in 2005. These types of docks were more commonly seen on speakers at the time, such as Apple's iPod Hi-Fi that was released in 2006.

The 30-pin connector was never directly implemented on computers, with a cable required for syncing. It is therefore intriguing to discover that Apple was seriously considering adding an iPod dock to the Mac, starting with the ‌Mac mini‌ in 2005.

According to the Twitter user who shared these photos, the project was scrapped internally before it saw the "light of day." Given that the size and shape of the iPod nano changed consistently over the years, this ‌Mac mini‌ would have only been compatible with the first and perhaps second generation of the music player.

@DongleBookPro regularly posts images of unreleased Apple devices and prototypes. Earlier this month, they revealed images of an unreleased first-generation iPod touch prototype with a 2013 Mac Pro-style glossy black finish.

Apple has reportedly begun testing an expansion of its more detailed Apple Maps app in the United Kingdom and Ireland, according to Justin O'Beirne, who often shares details on updates made in ‌Apple Maps‌.

Since the Maps revamp in these countries is in testing stages, it is worth pointing out that the changes are not available to all users at the current time.

Apple announced at its virtual WWDC 2020 event that the new Maps app would be coming to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada "later this year," but no clear date was given as to when the rollout would be completed.

The revamped Maps app features richer landscape details such as roads, parking lots, parks, buildings, airports, and more. Apple uses its own vehicles equipped with LiDAR sensors and cameras to obtain mapping data.

Apple worked for over a year to complete the rollout of the new Maps app in the United States, and the process concluded in January with the expansion to the Southeast and Central United States.