MacRumors

Topping the news headlines once again this week was the dispute between Apple and Epic Games, which continued to rage with no signs of de-escalation. The conflict hasn't dampened investors' enthusiasm for Apple's stock, however, as Apple this week became the first U.S. company to reach a market capitalization of $2 trillion.

Other news this week include rumors about future iPad Air and iPad Pro updates, some more changes in the latest beta of iOS 14, and an update to Apple's policies that will give users up to a year to purchase AppleCare+ warranty and accidental damage coverage for a broad array of Apple products in the U.S. and Canada.

Read on below for details on all of these stories and more from the past week!

Epic Games Sought Side Deal for Fortnite Prior to Lawsuit, Apple Says in Court Filing

It was just a week ago that things blew up between Apple and Epic Games, and a lot has happened since then, so we've been regularly updating our timeline of the events leading up to and major developments in the clash between the two companies.

In short, Epic Games strategically violated Apple's and Google's rules for in-app purchases, launching its own payment system for in-game currency in its hit game Fortnite. Apple and Google pulled Fortnite from their app stores, and Epic quickly responded with lawsuits and PR campaigns against the companies, with a major focus on breaking up Apple's firm control over app distribution on iOS and the revenue share it takes.

For its part, Apple has said that it "won't make an exception for Epic" and will terminate Epic's developer accounts if Fortnite isn't brought into compliance with App Store rules by August 28, a move that would affect the numerous developers that rely on Epic's Unreal Engine game engine. Apple is also disputing Epic's claims that it wasn't seeking a special deal with Apple to allow its own in-app purchase mechanism, as a new filing by Apple says that's exactly what Epic wanted.

With Fortnite removed from the App Store, some enterprising eBay sellers have taken to offering iPhones with Fortnite already installed, in some cases asking for thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, Epic is hosting a "#FreeFortnite Cup" this weekend as one last hurrah for cross-platform play before existing Fortnite players on iOS are "left behind" when the next game update drops.

Apple's Market Value Hits $2 Trillion

Just two months after becoming the first U.S. company to reach a market capitalization of $1.5 trillion, Apple has reached another milestone by being the first to hit $2 trillion.

Apple's share price has more than doubled since its low point just five months ago, and the company will be completing a four-for-one stock split at the end of this month. That should bring Apple's share price down to the $100–$125 range, but with four times as many shares in circulation, it will not affect the company's overall market value.

And Apple may not be done yet, as the company's share price has continued to surge toward $500, with one analyst saying a bull-case scenario could drive the stock to $600 (on a pre-split basis) on the strength of an iPhone 12 "supercycle."

What's New in iOS 14 Beta 5: Bigger Apple News Widget, Alarm Clock Wheel, Hidden Photo Album Changes and More

Apple this week seeded a fifth beta version of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 to developers and public beta testers, and the company is continuing to tweak things as an official launch approaches.

There's a new "tall" Apple News widget size option for the Today View, new privacy settings for widgets, a new "wheel" design for setting alarm times in the Clock app, a new option to prevent the Hidden album in Photos from showing up in the album list, and more.

Apple also seeded new betas of macOS Big Sur, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14 this week.

iPad Air 4 Said to Launch in March 2021 With A14 Processor, iPad Pro Update Possibly Next Month

Apple will launch the iPad Air 4 in March 2021 with an A14 processor, according to sources who also corroborate previous rumors that Apple will bring the ‌iPad‌ Air 4 much closer to the current iPad Pro in terms of design and features.

The ‌iPad‌ Air 4 will reportedly have a Smart Connector on its rear to support the new Magic Keyboard, while it is apparently set to transition from the Lightning Connector to USB-C and feature four stereo speakers.

The report also claims that an updated ‌iPad Pro‌ could arrive as soon as next month, presumably alongside new iPhones at Apple's usual fall event. Rumors have, however, been mixed on when an updated ‌iPad Pro‌ sporting Mini-LED display technology may arrive, with the earliest projections claiming this fall and the latest claiming the first half of 2021.

Five Mac Apps Worth Checking Out - August 2020

Apps designed for the Mac don't often receive as much coverage as apps designed for iPhones and iPads, which is why we have a series here at MacRumors that highlights interesting Mac apps worth checking out.

This month's picks include app organization utilties Panelicious and Tuck, Android device file transfer tool MacDroid, retro summer music playlist app Poolside FM, and text recognition app TextSniper.

Apple Giving Users in U.S. and Canada Up to One Year to Buy AppleCare+

Apple is significantly extending the window in which users in the U.S. and Canada can purchase an AppleCare+ extended warranty with accidental damage coverage. Apple has typically allowed users to purchase AppleCare+ up to 60 days after buying a device, but that window will now be extended to one year, although users will have to visit an Apple retail store to have their devices examined for any damage.

The one-year AppleCare+ purchase window applies to a broad array of Apple products, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, iPods, HomePods, AirPods, Apple Watches, and more.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

With every iteration of iOS, Apple adds new privacy features to better protect iPhone and iPad users, and iOS 14 is no exception. This year's update is worth downloading for the privacy protections alone, which include Privacy Reports in Safari, recording indicators, an option to share approximate location with apps instead of precise locations, and more.

In this guide, we've highlighted all of the privacy-focused changes that Apple is introducing in the iOS 14 update.

Recording Indicators

When an app is using either the camera or the microphone, a small dot appears in the status bar just above the WiFi and cellular signal bars. The dot is green when an app is using the camera, and orange when using the microphone.

If you close the app using the camera or microphone and then open the Control Center, there will be a camera or microphone icon along with the name of the app that was recently using the feature. Recording indicators prevent the camera or microphone from being accessed by an app in the background without your knowledge, so you can be sure that apps aren't sneakily recording conversations or videos.

• How to Know When an App is Using Your iPhone Camera or Microphone

Safari

Password Monitoring and Compromised Password Alerts

In iOS 14, the Safari app monitors passwords saved in iCloud Keychain, and lets you know if you have a password that's been compromised in a leak or is too weak so you can change it. The feature provides direct links to websites where you can change your passwords.

For this feature, Safari uses cryptographic techniques to regularly check derivations of your passwords against a list of breached passwords in what Apple promises is a secure and private way. Potential problems can be seen under the "Security Recommendations" heading in the Passwords section of the Settings app.

Privacy Report

A Privacy Report feature in Safari expands on Apple's Intelligent Tracking Prevention functionality that's designed to prevent websites from tracking your internet usage as you browse for ad targeting and analytics.

iOS 14's Privacy Report lists which sites are using trackers, how many trackers are installed on each site, and the most prevalent trackers that you encounter across multiple sites.

Privacy Reports can be accessed by tapping on the "Aa" icon in the URL bar and choosing the "Privacy Report" option. Cross-site tracking prevention needs to be enabled in Settings for Privacy Report to work, but it's on by default so most people shouldn't need to make adjustments.

For more on everything that's new in Safari, including the privacy features included in Safari for iOS 14, make sure to check out our Safari guide.

App Store Privacy Reports

Later this year, the iOS App Store will include a new privacy section on each app page that will provide a summary of the privacy practices of an app before you download it. Apple when introducing the feature at WWDC compared it to a nutritional label for food.

Developers will self-report their privacy practices, letting you know what data is collected and how that data might be used to track you across companies. Apple plans to require developers to implement this feature in a simple, easy-to-read format that's similar to a nutrition label for food.

App Store privacy information won't be available right when iOS 14 launches, but Apple says it will be introduced in an update to the iOS 14 operating system.

App Tracking Controls

Apps that want to use tracking mechanisms that track your behavior across various apps and websites need to get permission from you before doing so in iOS 14.

Apps that use these features will have a popup asking you to enable tracking features, which are used for targeted advertising, data collection, and similar purposes. Most people are not going to want to tap accept on these kinds of requests, and declining tracking prevents an app from accessing a device's advertising identifier.

According to Apple, apps granted permission to track you can collect data that includes device ID, name, email address, and more, which is then combined with data collected by third parties. The combined data is often used for ad targeting or shared with data brokers, linking that data to publicly available and other information about you and your device.

You can turn off cross-app and cross-site tracking for apps entirely by opening up the Settings app, navigating to the Privacy section, and tapping "Tracking." From there, turn off "Allow Apps to Request to Track."

Developers are responsible for ensuring they comply with user choice, and there are some situations where a developer is not required by Apple to ask for user permission, such as when information is combined on device and not sent off in a way that is personally identifiable or when used for fraud detection or prevention.

• iOS 14: How to Prevent Apps From Tracking You Across Sites and Apps

Approximate Location

There are some apps that require your location to properly function, and in iOS 14, Apple has introduced a new feature that lets you share your location data in a more secure and less targeted way.

For apps that require location access, you can choose to share an Approximate Location, which is close to your location but not precisely spot on, making it harder for apps to keep track of where you're going and better protecting your location privacy.

Apps that ask for location access will pop up the Approximate Location option, but you can also get to these settings for each location using app by opening up Settings, going to the Privacy section, tapping on Location Services, and then tapping on each app that has requested location permission.

Toggle off "Precise Location" for any app that you want to use an approximate location instead. This is useful for weather apps, browsers, mapping apps, and more.

Widgets

Widgets in iOS 14 must receive user approval to access location data just like apps. Under Location Services in the Privacy section of the Settings app, there are also options to allow or disallow location access while a widget is in use.

You can choose to allow both the app and its accompanying widget to access your location, or just an app. When given permission and in use, a widget can access location data for 15 minutes.

Widget location is subject to the approximate or precise location settings that are enabled for each app.

Clipboard Access

Whenever an app accesses the clipboard in iOS 14, Apple notifies you with a small banner that lets you know the clipboard was copied. There are plenty of legitimate reasons for an app to use the clipboard, such as when you're copying and pasting something from another app or through the Continuity based copy paste feature on another machine, but apps had also been abusing their clipboard access.

Apps like TikTok, Twitter, Zillow, and tons of other apps were reading the clipboard without user knowledge or permission in situations where clipboard access was not warranted. Many of these apps said that these were security features or bugs, and the warning banner from Apple has resulted in many apps making sure their clipboard access is above board.

Apps are not able to read the clipboard without you knowing about it, so you can be sure the contents of your clipboard are safe from unwarranted access.

Network Access

Apps that want to access devices on your local network need to ask permission in iOS 14, and there are some apps that ask that have no business accessing your local network, such as Facebook.

Some apps have a valid reason for accessing devices on your local network, such as those that control Bluetooth or WiFi-based devices, and you can tap to allow or disallow access. Local Network settings can also be controlled under Local Network in the Privacy section of the Settings app.

• iOS 14: How to Prevent Network Operators From Tracking Your iPhone or iPad Across Wi-Fi Networks

WiFi Tracking

When you're connected to a WiFi network, there's an option to "Use Private Address" to prevent network operators from tracking your phone across different WiFi networks.

You can find this option by opening up the Settings app, tapping the WiFi section, and tapping on one of the listed networks. Apple provides a warning when connecting to a Wi-Fi network that doesn't use the Private Address feature.

Limited Photos Library Access

For apps that ask permission to access your photos, you can now choose to give access to your entire photo library or just a few photos at a time, which is useful if you don't want social networks like Facebook or Instagram seeing your entire camera roll.

If you use the limited photos option, you can continually change the photos that are shared, selecting just a couple at a time that you want to upload or edit, depending on the app. It adds another step to workflows involving photos, but it keeps your full library safe and inaccessible.

You'll be asked about limited photos access whenever an app wants permission to use photos, and you can control which apps have access to all of your photos, limited photos, or no photos in the Privacy section of the Settings app under "Photos."

• iOS 14: How to Limit How Much Access Third-Party Apps Have to Your Photo Library on iPhone and iPad

New Sign in with Apple Features

New Sign in with Apple tools for developers will make it easier for them to enable functionality for transferring existing web accounts to Sign in with Apple, which could make new options available to iPhone, iPad, and Mac users who want to convert their logins to the more secure Sign in with Apple feature.

On-Device Dictation

Dictation is designed to improve over time so for accuracy and to customize to each person's usage needs. With on-device dictation, all processing is done offline, but dictation used in search still uses server-based dictation.

Contacts Autofill

Rather than sharing Contacts with third-party apps, Apple has added an autofill feature. When you go to type someone's name, it will fill in their phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, and other info that's stored in the contacts app. Autofill is done on device and prevents contact info from being shared with third-party developers.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the privacy features in iOS 14, know of a feature we left out, or or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here. If you want to know more about what's coming in iOS 14, make sure to check out our iOS 14 roundup.

Apple is requiring the WordPress for iOS app to implement in-app purchase options for its .com plans, and prevented the app from getting updates until the development team agreed to add the feature, WordPress developer Matt Mullenweg said on Twitter today.

Mullenweg says the WordPress iOS App was "locked" and to push updates and bug fixes, the company had to agree to add support for in-app purchase plans. There was an update released 19 hours ago after three weeks of no updates, so it appears WordPress has committed to introducing Wordpress.com in-app purchase options.

WordPress.com offers several paid plans for WordPress.com hosting, priced from $4 per month to $45 per month based on features, storage, support, and other parameters. There are also enterprise options that start at $1,700 per month.

WordPress.com plans allow users to set up a custom domain, access email, build full websites, and more, but it is separate from the WordPress platform. Right now, you can create WordPress.com sites in the app, or add a self-hosted site that uses standard WordPress for management purposes, but there's no option to use the app to set up the WordPress.com paid features in the app.

WordPress is a website platform that is the backbone for many websites on the internet. It's a free, open source tool that anyone can use and customize to meet their needs. WordPress.com, meanwhile, is a separate hosting service with the aforementioned paid plans.

Mullenweg says that the WordPress team isn't sure how to implement support for in-app purchases for the WordPress.com sites given that the WordPress app supports sites built on the WordPress platform. The team is mulling introducing a new name for the app or allowing other hosts and plugins to support in-app purchases for their plans.

According to Apple's App Store Review Guidelines, apps that offer access to paid digital content or services need to use the in-app purchase system. Apps that operate across several platforms can let users access content, subscriptions, and features that they've paid for outside of the ‌App Store‌ (like on WordPress.com), but Apple's rules say those items must also be available as in-app purchases in the iOS app.

Apple considers WordPress to be a multiplatform service, which means it can offer its content or services purchased through the WordPress.com website in the WordPress app, but an in-app purchase for those services must also be available. The WordPress app and WordPress.com offerings been available for several years now, so it's not clear why Apple didn't previously require WordPress.com in-app purchases to be made available in the app.

Apple told MacRumors that it approved the latest update of the WordPress app and is working with WordPress to bring the app into compliance with the ‌App Store‌ Review Guidelines.

Apple's request that WordPress implement in-app purchases comes as Apple faces scrutiny from antitrust regulators over its ‌App Store‌ purchase policies, and amid a fierce fight with Epic Games over in-app purchase fees.

Update: As it turns out, the WordPress app was in violation of Apple's ‌App Store‌ policies because there were references to upgrading to paid plans within the app's help system that linked to the WordPress plan option on the web, something which was not made clear when reports about the WordPress app being forced to implement in-app purchases came out.

According to Apple, it asked WordPress to add in-app payment options because there was a payments plan section that did not include in-app purchases. Apple and WordPress have now come to an agreement that has seen WordPress remove payment option references from the app, so it is now in compliance with the ‌App Store‌ rules.

Apple in a statement said that the issue with the WordPress app has been resolved:

We believe the issue with the WordPress app has been resolved. Since the developer removed the display of their service payment options from the app, it is now a free stand-alone app and does not have to offer in-app purchases. We have informed the developer and apologize for any confusion that we have caused.

Earlier this week, Epic Games levied a lawsuit against Apple after Apple pulled popular game Fortnite from the App Store for defying Apple's ‌App Store‌ policies surrounding in-app purchases, launching a legal battle between the two companies.

Apple in turn said that it would terminate Epic's developer accounts on August 28, prompting ‌Epic Games‌ to file a restraining order attempting to stay that removal. Apple today responded to ‌Epic Games‌' lawsuit with its own court filing, arguing that Fortnite should not be allowed to remain on the ‌App Store‌ as the legal fight plays out.

According to Apple, ‌Epic Games‌ in June sought a special deal from Apple's Phil Schiller that would change the way in which Epic offers apps on the ‌App Store‌. From CNBC:

"On June 30, 2020, Epic's CEO Tim Sweeney wrote my colleagues and me an email asking for a 'side letter' from Apple that would create a special deal for only Epic that would fundamentally change the way in which Epic offers apps on Apple's iOS platform," former Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller wrote in a declaration.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney previously said that Epic was not seeking a special deal from Apple and was instead fighting for "open platforms and policy changes equally benefiting all developers," but it appears that Epic did attempt to establish a unique relationship with Apple prior to when the lawsuit was filed. "When Apple refused to fundamentally alter the way it does business to appease Epic, Epic resorted to sudden, unilateral action that blatantly breached its contracts with Apple," reads Apple's response.

Epic had asked Apple for permission to bypass the in-app purchase system and allow Fortnite players to pay for in-game currency directly, a request that Apple denied and a feature that Epic implemented anyway. According to Schiller, Sweeney emailed him on the morning that Fortnite changed the payment mechanism and said that Epic will no longer "adhere to Apple's payment processing restrictions."

Apple lawyers argue that the emergency stay that Epic is seeking is an emergency "entirely of Epic's own making," as Apple has said that if Epic removes the direct payment mechanism that it added to Fortnite, the game would be allowed to return to the ‌App Store‌ and Fortnite's developer accounts would not be disabled.

Apple has also likened ‌Epic Games‌' behavior to a shoplifter. "If developers can avoid the digital checkout, it is the same as if a customer leaves an Apple retail store without paying for shoplifted product: Apple does not get paid," Apple said.

Apple's promise to terminate all of Epic's developer accounts and access to Apple tools on August 28 would impact the development of the Unreal Engine used in many third-party apps and games. Along with the pending account termination, Epic is not able to update Fortnite, which means that existing iOS users will not be able to take advantage of the next season of the game launching on August 27.

A court hearing is scheduled for Monday to determine whether Apple can remove Fortnite from the ‌App Store‌ for violating the ‌App Store‌ rules.

Update: In a tweet, ‌Epic Games‌ CEO Tim Sweeney called Apple's statement misleading because Epic's email also asked for the concessions to be made available to other developers.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Casetify to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an Impact Case for the iPhone and a Rainbow Case for the AirPods, both of which are available in bright summer colors and can be personalized.

Priced at $40 to $50, Casetify's popular Impact Cases are available for all of Apple's modern iPhones, dating back to the iPhone 6 and ranging up to the current iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, and iPhone SE.

The Impact Cases are lightweight, slimmer than a 10-cent coin, and don't add a lot of bulk to the iPhone, but they offer a good amount of protection. According to Casetify, the Impact Case has been drop tested and can protect the iPhone from drops up to 6.6 feet high. It's made from a proprietary shock-absorbing material called "QiTech."

There's a bezel at the front of the case that's designed to protect the display when the iPhone is facedown, and there's a flash absorbing bezel around the camera to protect it. All of the ports remain accessible, and the Impact Case is wireless charging compatible.

There are multiple color options for the Impact Case to suit every taste, including clear, solid black, and more colorful rainbow options in yellow, red, hot pink, purple, orange, teal, and midnight green. There's also an iridescent option and clear cases that have colored bumpers.

All of the Impact Cases can be customized with up to 12 characters of text in different font styles, colors, and layouts, to add a personalized touch.

Casetify also makes a series of Rainbow AirPods Cases that match the rainbow Impact Case color options, and the AirPods Cases fit either the AirPods or AirPods Pro.

The AirPods Case, priced at $35, is designed to keep the AirPods protected from drops, spills, scratches, and other mishaps, plus there's an included carabiner to attach them to bags.

AirPods Cases are super slim at 1.2mm and won't add bulk, plus the soft material the case is made from molds to the curves of the AirPod Charging Case. They're thin enough that wireless charging works. AirPods Cases come in teal, purple, pink, orange, red, and neon yellow, and like the Impact Cases, AirPods Cases can be customized with text with different fonts and text colors.

We have six Impact Case and AirPods Case setups to give away to MacRumors readers, with winners able to choose cases to fit their devices, the case colors, and the case personalization.

For those who don't win one of the Impact Case and AirPod Case prize packs, Casetify is offering a 15 percent discount on all purchases. Just use the promo code Macrumors15 when checking out. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (August 21) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on August 28. The winners will be chosen randomly on August 28 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Apple nixed its AirPower wireless charger in May 2019 after it was unable to manufacture the device in a way that would meet Apple's standards, allegedly due to problems with overheating and reliability.

Leaker Mr-white (@laobaiTD), who has in the past shared leaked component photos and details on Apple's plans, today tweeted some photos that he claims feature the now-dead AirPower, which are from a Chinese social network.

The images feature a charging mat in an AirPower-like shape, with multiple wireless charging coils inside and a circuit board laden with chips that would serve as the brains of the device.

Apple designed the ‌AirPower‌ so that it could charge an iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch by placing the devices anywhere on the charging mat, and the overlapping charging capabilities are supposedly where it ran into trouble when designing the ‌AirPower‌, but other wireless chargers on the market also use a multi-coil technique.

We don't know if these photos actually depict the ‌AirPower‌ as there's nothing in the design that specifically ties them to Apple. The photos were originally sourced from a BiliBili, a Chinese video site, and Mr-white also shared the original video which has a few other views of the device in question.

Though work on the original ‌AirPower‌ was cancelled, there have been rumors from dependable sources that indicate some kind of wireless charger is still coming. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in January that Apple is working on "a small wireless charging mat," which could debut at some point in 2020.

Back in June, leaker Jon Prosser shared photos of the alleged ‌AirPower‌ that was still in the works, but those photos ultimately turned out to be faked and from a wireless charger that is not an ‌AirPower‌ nor designed by Apple.

Just two days after becoming a $2 trillion company, Apple continues to experience impressive momentum on the stock market, with shares in the company rising around four percent in intraday trading as of writing.

Apple's stock price is quickly closing in on the $500 mark and has more than doubled since bottoming out at $224 in late March. Despite the global health crisis, the company set a June quarter revenue record of $59.7 billion, buoyed by strong Mac and iPad sales as more people work, learn, and connect with others from home.

Apple recently announced a four-for-one stock split that will take effect for shareholders of record as of August 24, with split-adjusted trading to begin on August 31. This move will not directly affect the company's valuation.

Apple is one of several companies that has seen its stock price surge since March, alongside the likes of Tesla, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.

After reaching a market value of two-trillion dollars earlier this week, Apple may yet surge by another 27 percent, according to Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives (via BusinessInsider).

Ives believes that Apple has the potential to make further significant gains over the next year, even though the company has already hit the milestone two-trillion dollar valuation. He has classified Apple stocks with an "outperform" rating, with a target price of $515 and an optimistic bull case of $600. This prediction would place Apple as much as 27 percent higher than it closed yesterday.

"We still believe the stock has a lot of gasoline left in the tank with an iPhone 12 'supercycle' on the near term horizon," Ives wrote.

Ives described the possibility as a "once in a decade" opportunity, as "we estimate roughly 350 million of Cupertino's 950 million iPhones worldwide are in the window of an upgrade opportunity." He believes in "massive pent-up demand around this supercycle," which is the main indication that Apple's price could surge going into next year. China is also crucial to Ives' analysis, where he sees "considerable strength" that could account for approximately 20 percent of iPhone upgrades over the next twelve to eighteen months.

Beyond the iPhone, Ives' thesis places considerable emphasis on Apple's increasing services ventures, which he values between $700 billion to $750 billion. He believes that Apple services could generate more than $60 billion in annual revenue next year alone. He also recognizes the boom in wearables, such as AirPods and Apple Watch, which have seen an increase in sales of 25 million units this year.

Apple this week began selling certified refurbished 10.2-inch iPad models for the first time in the United States, Canada, and select other countries. Prices are discounted by around 15 percent compared to brand new models.

Apple says certified refurbished iPad models are thoroughly inspected, tested, cleaned, and repackaged in a new white box, with all accessories and documentation included. Every refurbished iPad receives a new battery and a new outer shell, making them virtually indistinguishable from brand new iPads.

Refurbished iPads are covered by Apple's standard one-year warranty. This coverage can be extended to two years with AppleCare+ for the 10.2-inch iPad, available for a one-time fee of $69 or $3.49 per month for 24 months in the United States.

Introduced in September 2019, the 10.2-inch iPad features an A10 Fusion chip, 32GB and 128GB storage capacities, a Smart Connector for Smart Keyboard support, first-generation Apple Pencil support, a Touch ID home button, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and up to 10 hours of battery life. It is available in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray.

While certified refurbished iPads represent a decent opportunity for savings straight from Apple, better deals are often available from resellers like Amazon and Best Buy. Be sure to monitor our Apple Deals roundup.

(Thanks, Shanmugam Senthivel!)

The new game "Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time" has arrived on Apple Arcade. The game is a single-player action platformer based on the Adult Swim series of the same name.

The game takes place during the show's season finale, and involves an alternate timeline where the character of Jack travels through multiple levels on a new quest to defeat his nemesis "Aku". With characters voiced by the original voice-actors from the show, Samurai Jack allows players to explore classic worlds and moments from episodes of the show, and boasts "one of the most unique and iconic gaming experiences available on ‌Apple Arcade‌."

Players will be able to equip and master over a dozen different weapons and increase their power by training to unlock new skills, with opportunities for different play-styles.

"Team up with trusted allies from the show to face off against familiar enemies... Travel to a dark future to free mankind. Dive into the past to face off against diabolical monsters. Seek your fate as you travel across space and time," says the game's description.

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is also available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. More games, such as "The Last Campfire" and "World's End Club," are expected to come to ‌‌Apple Arcade‌‌ soon.

Facebook's "classic" web interface is set to become obsolete in September, according to a Facebook support page spotted by Engadget.

Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the refreshed design over a year ago at Facebook's "F8" developer conference. It has been the default since May, with the option to voluntarily return to the previous design. From next month, there will be no facility to access the old design and all users will have the updated look.

The new design is a significant change from how Facebook has looked for most of its life. It places more emphasis on groups, switching between public and private spaces, and displays more pronounced links to Facebook's updated Watch, Marketplace, and Gaming sections. The motivation behind the redesign was to bring the experience of the Facebook mobile app and the Facebook website to parity, and refresh the overall look of the social media platform.

With Fortnite currently banned from the App Store and Epic Games on the verge of having its Apple developer accounts terminated for violating ‌App Store‌ rules by rolling out its own payments system for in-game currency, Epic is hosting a #FreeFortnite Cup this Sunday for "one more Victory Royale with friends across all platforms."

Fortnite users who already have the game installed on their iOS devices are currently able to continue playing the game, but they will be "left behind" when Chapter 2 - Season 4 launches on August 27 as Epic won't be able to push the game update to those users.

As part of #FreeFortnite Cup, Epic is offering a host of prizes ranging from an in-game outfit and a physical "Free Fortnite" hat to hardware such as Alienware laptops, Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 tablets, OnePlus 8 phones, and Xbox One X and Nintendo Switch gaming systems.

If you’re left behind on iOS after the Chapter 2 - Season 4 launch, the party continues on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, GeForce Now, and through both the Epic Games App at epicgames.com and the Samsung Galaxy Store. Join the fight against @AppStore on social with #FreeFortnite.

All of your friends. Awesome prizes. And one bad apple. We’re droppin the #FreeFortnite Cup.

Finally, Epic is sharing tips for iOS users worried about being unable to continue playing Fortnite, recommending that they make sure their game data is stored in their Epic accounts and investigate alternative Fortnite-compatible devices where they can simply pick up where they left off. For Android users, Epic notes that users can still install it through other means such as Samsung's Galaxy Store or sideloading, despite the game having also been pulled from the Google Play store.

Apple is looking to put a pricing squeeze on component suppliers for the upcoming iPhone 12 lineup to help offset increased costs for new 5G technology and minimize the need for price increases across the flagship lineup, according to a new research note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo viewed by MacRumors.

Kuo says adoption of Sub-6GHz 5G technology will increase Apple's costs by $75–$85, while millimeter wave technology will incur a $125–$135 cost for Apple, so the company is cutting costs on other components wherever it can.

While Apple has broadly been putting "higher bargaining pressure" on its suppliers, the battery board is one area where Kuo believes suppliers will see the biggest cost trimming with Apple reportedly moving to a simpler and smaller design with fewer layers. The hybrid hard and soft battery board for the iPhone 12 will reportedly be 40–50% cheaper than the equivalent part in the iPhone 11 series, although this component is likely a small contributor to Apple's overall costs.

Looking out further into the future, Kuo says Apple will push the envelope even more with the "iPhone 12s" lineup in 2021, adopting a purely soft board design that will shave off an additional 30–40% compared to the iPhone 12 board price.

Apple has also been putting pricing pressure on its circuit board suppliers for the AirPods, Kuo says, with the average price of soft and hard boards in the AirPods 2 declining by 25–35% since the first half of the year.

Apple's current suppliers will face even more issues when the AirPods 3 launch in the first half of 2021, according to Kuo. He reiterates his previous claims that the next-generation earphones will follow the AirPods Pro in adopting an integrated system-in-package (SiP) design rather than the surface-mount technology (SMT) found in the current AirPods 2.

Apple's default Siri Remote for the Apple TV has never been particularly popular with users due to its small size and fiddly controls, which has prompted third-party companies to make alternative options.

Last year we took a look at the Salt Remote, and now Function101 has come out with an alternate ‌Apple TV‌ remote that we thought we'd check out to see if it's better than what Apple offers.

The Button Remote from Function101 is priced at $30, which isn't too bad if you have a broken ‌Siri‌ Remote or are just fed up with using it (note that ‌Siri‌ Remote is used in countries where ‌Siri‌ is available on ‌Apple TV‌ - in others, it's the same design, but without a ‌Siri‌ button and it's called the ‌Apple TV‌ remote).

Function101's remote is a lot easier to find than the Salt Remote, which was only sold in Switzerland. The Button Remote is available in the U.S. and can be purchased online.

Design wise, the Button Remote is bigger, thicker, and provides more physical buttons than the ‌Siri‌ Remote, which is largely touch based. The larger design means it's less likely to slip in between couch cushions or otherwise disappear.

It can be difficult to navigate with the touchpad on the ‌Siri‌ Remote, a problem that's solved with the Button Remote because it uses directional buttons for navigation instead of Apple's swipes.

Because the Button Remote uses IR to control the ‌Apple TV‌, it needs a direct line of sight to the box. If you have your ‌Apple TV‌ behind a TV or otherwise situated out of sight, the Button Remote won't work, which is one negative.

The physical buttons work well enough. There are directional arrows for navigating, an OK button for selecting items, a menu button for going back to the previous screen (hold it down to go to the Home Screen), volume buttons, and media playback controls.

Skipping forwards or backwards 10 seconds with the Button Remote is a major improvement over the ‌Siri‌ Remote that requires pressing at the edge of the touchpad. The Button Remote has specific buttons for fast-forwarding or rewinding content, which is a plus.

Of course, there's one major button missing that may be a dealbreaker based on how you use your ‌Apple TV‌ - there's no ‌Siri‌ button. If you regularly ask ‌Siri‌ to find content on the ‌Apple TV‌ or otherwise take advantage of the personal assistant, you will have no way to do that on the Button Remote.

You could use the ‌Siri‌ Remote alongside the Button Remote, or use the Remote app on an iPhone when you need to access ‌Siri‌, but it will be more of a hassle than just having a ‌Siri‌ button readily available. For those who don't use ‌Siri‌, or in countries where ‌Siri‌ is not available, the lack of a ‌Siri‌ button won't matter.

The Button Remote operates on two AAA batteries like many other remotes on the market, and it does not need to be charged like the ‌Siri‌ Remote.

Though it doesn't replicate everything the ‌Siri‌ Remote can do, the Button Remote is worth checking out for those who are looking for an alternative. Let us know what you think of the remote in the comments.

Apple today seeded the second beta of the upcoming macOS 11 Big Sur update to its public beta testing group, allowing non-developers to give the software a try ahead of its public release this fall. The second beta comes two weeks after the first beta.

Beta testers who signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the macOS Big Sur beta through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile.

Mac users who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate on the beta website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS betas. Potential beta testers should make a full backup before installing ‌macOS Big Sur‌, and it may not be wise to install the update on a primary machine because betas can be unstable.

macOS Big Sur introduces a refined design for the macOS operating system, which is more similar to iOS but immediately familiar to Mac users with tweaks to window design, color palette, app icons, system sounds, menu bars, and sidebars.

The update brings Control Center to the Mac for the first time, providing quicker access to system controls for things like volume, keyboard brightness, screen brightness, Wi-Fi connection, and more.

An updated Notification Center includes more interactive notifications and redesigned widgets that mirror the new widgets in iOS 14. Notifications are now grouped by app, and you can customize which widgets show up.

Safari has a new customizable start page, built-in translation, and a Privacy Report feature that lets you know which trackers each website is using to follow you across the web. There's a new Mac App Store category for extensions, and you can now control the specific sites that extensions are able to work with for more privacy.

The Messages app for Mac has been overhauled to bring it more in line with the Messages app for iOS and it supports features like pinned conversations, mentions, inline replies, Messages effects, and Memoji creation and Memoji stickers. Search is also better to make it easier to find old conversations, photos, links, and more.

A redesigned Maps app in macOS Big Sur adds support for Look Around, indoor maps, Guides, and Shared ETA updates, plus it can be used to generate cycling routes and routes with charging stops for electric vehicles, which can be sent to iPhone.

There are also smaller updates for apps like Photos, Music, and Home, with a full list of everything new in macOS Big Sur available in our roundup.

LG this week appears to have pushed out an update that adds the Apple TV app to some 2018 TV models. There are several reports on Twitter about the ‌Apple TV‌ app coming to 2018 LG TVs, and MacRumors also received a tip from a reader.

It's not clear if the update to introduce the ‌Apple TV‌ app was worldwide, but LG TV users from multiple countries are now seeing the TV app.

Earlier this year, LG brought the ‌Apple TV‌ app to select 2019 LG TVs in the United States and more than 80 other countries, and at the time, LG said that 2018 TVs would also get the TV app through a firmware update.

LG TV owners can access the ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ app from the LG Home app Launcher, and along with ‌‌Apple TV‌‌+, LG users can also subscribe to Apple channels and access their iTunes libraries to rent, purchase, and watch TV shows and movies.

So far, LG has not shared details on which 2018 TVs are offering the TV app, but 2019 TVs with support included all OLED TVs, NanoCell TVs (SM9X and SM8X), and UHD TVs (UM7X and UM6X).

LG has also promised to bring AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support to 2018 smart TVs by October 2020, and the TVs that will get support include "SK" and "UK" LED models and "B8" through "Z8" OLED models. ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and ‌HomeKit‌ support doesn't appear to have rolled out at this time.

(Thanks, Mauritz!)