Apple on December 14 is holding an open house event at Apple Park for Cupertino residents who live near the campus, and has been sending out invites via email to those who are eligible to attend.
The open house takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and requires attendees to RSVP by December 11. Apple says that it is supporting Toys for Tots, and asks those interested in participating to bring along a toy.
Potential attendees need to fill out a registration form and attendance is confirmed on a first come, first serve basis until capacity is reached.
Each household that receives an invitation can register up to four people in total, and households will be assigned a specific arrival time. Apple says that light snacks and beverages will be served, and the company recommends comfortable outdoor shoes.
Attendees will be able to take photos of exterior spaces at Apple Park, but not interior spaces or inside buildings.
Apple has previously invited nearby Cupertino residents to visit its Apple Park campus when the Apple Park Visitor Center opened up in November 2017.
The widely rumored "iPhone SE 2" might actually be named the iPhone 9, according to an "informed source" cited by Japanese blog Mac Otakara.
The report reiterates that the device will have a similar form factor as the iPhone 8, including a 4.7-inch display with bezels and a Touch ID home button, but with a faster A13 Bionic chip. 3GB of RAM is also expected. Like the original iPhone SE, the device is not expected to support 3D Touch.
iPhone 9 would certainly be a more fitting name for the device given it sounds like more of an iPhone 8 successor than an iPhone SE successor. With a 4.7-inch display, the new device would be larger than the original iPhone SE with a 4-inch display, disappointing those who prefer a smaller phone.
The lower-cost iPhone, whatever it ends up being named, will likely start around $399 with 64GB of storage, and come in Space Gray, Silver, and Red, according to reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Multiple reports have indicated the device will be released by the end of the first quarter of 2020.
The original iPhone SE was introduced at an Apple event in March 2016, so a March 2020 release is certainly possible for this next device.
Best Buy began a new sale focused on Apple products today, which is a precursor to its upcoming 12 Days of Deals holiday shopping event. For the Apple sale, Best Buy is discounting a number of iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, and more to notable low prices, some of which are matching the prices we saw on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This sale will end on Sunday, December 8 at 11:59 p.m. CT, and afterwards the 12 Days of Deals event will kick off. Best Buy isn't detailing which products will see discounts on which day yet, but it does provide some hints, and Apple shoppers will want to return on December 14 when the retailer says it will discount the MacBook, Beats, and more.
For now, you can shop this weekend's Apple Sales Event below.
Best Buy Apple Sales Event
iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
iPhone 11 Pro Max - Save up to $300 with qualified activation and in-store trade-in
Apple shares crossed the $269 mark in intraday trading today, setting a new all-time high for the company.
However, oil giant Saudi Aramco is set to overtake Apple as the world's most valuable company based on market cap after raising $25.6 billion in the world's biggest initial public offering ever, according to Reuters. The shares are expected to begin trading on the Saudi stock market on December 11.
Saudi Aramco only offered a 1.5 percent stake in the company to public shareholders, so the $25.6 billion raised gives it an overall valuation of around $1.7 trillion, topping Apple's market cap of around $1.1 trillion.
New evidence compels true-crime podcaster Poppy Parnell, played by Octavia Spencer, to reopen a murder case that made her a media sensation. "Breaking Bad" star Aaron Paul plays the man she may have wrongfully put behind bars. The series is based on the novel "Are You Sleeping" by Kathleen Barber.
"Hala" was also released on Apple TV+ today. Written and directed by Minhal Baig, Apple says the film follows a high school senior struggling to balance being a suburban teenager with her traditional Muslim upbringing.
Apple has also released the eighth episodes of "The Morning Show," "See," and "For All Mankind," as well as the fourth episode of "Servant."
Apple TV+ is available through the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and select smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio, as well as online at tv.apple.com. The streaming service costs $4.99 per month in the United States, with a seven-day free trial available.
Its upcoming Galaxy S11 will sport a 108-megapixel sensor for the main camera -- versus the iPhone 11's 12 -- flanked by three more on the back of the device including an ultrawide-angle lens and 5x optical zoom, they said. The marquee device will also adopt a time-of-flight sensor for depth detection similar to one already in the Note 10+, a feature that can aid portrait photos and augmented-reality applications, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing specifications that haven’t been made public.
The high-resolution sensor and 5x zoom camera will also feature in its second Galaxy Fold device, which is expected to be unveiled in February, around the same time as the launch of the Galaxy S11 launch, according to Bloomberg. Affiliate Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. developed the 5x zoom module, which went into production earlier this year.
The arsenal of lenses planned for the rear of the S11 are said to be a key part of Samsung's bid to outshine Apple in next year's smartphone stakes, with 5G connectivity and foldable devices forming the other core pillars of its head-start hardware strategy. Apple's next generation of flagship smartphones aren't expected to arrive until several months later in the fall.
Apple made major changes to the rear camera system in the 2019 iPhone lineup with the new triple-lens setup of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, and 2020 is expected to bring even more camera improvements.
Rumors suggest Apple will add a laser-powered time-of-flight 3D rear camera to the iPhone 12 Pro, which will bring significant improvements in augmented reality experiences.
The camera is said to be able to scan areas up to 15 feet from the device. Apple's front-facing TrueDepth camera uses similar 3D technology but because it's infrared and not laser-powered, it only works at distances of 25 to 50 centimeters.
Apple plans to release an all-OLED lineup in 2020 consisting of 5.4-inch, two 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch models in the second half of the year, according to the latest prediction from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The 6.1-inch "iPhone 12 Pro" and 6.7-inch "iPhone 12 Pro Max" are expected to feature a triple-lens rear camera. So far, rumors indicate these two higher-end iPhones will use the new time-of-flight rear camera, so it may not be available in the lower-end iPhones that are going to have a lower price tag.
We're hearing multiple reports worldwide from subscribers to Apple TV+, Apple's video streaming service, about the loss of support for watching shows in Dolby Vision HDR on Apple TV 4K set-top boxes connected to compatible 4K TVs.
Over the past two weeks, more and more users have taken to the MacRumors forums, Twitter, Reddit and Apple's discussion pages to highlight the problem, which appears to be affecting not only new show episodes as they're made available, but existing episodes hosted on the service that previously worked in Dolby Vision HDR.
For example, early episodes of "See," "The Morning Show" and "For All Mankind" are no longer being streamed in dynamic Dolby Vision HDR, but revert back to static HDR in HDR10 format on TVs that officially support Dolby Vision. The same goes for brand new episodes of these shows that were released today, despite the fact that they still carry the Dolby Vision HDR support label on the summary screens.
Compared to static HDR10 which works uniformly across content, Dolby Vision HDR use dynamic image metadata that enables Dolby Vision-capable TVs to adapt the extended color gamut and increased contrast range of HDR on a scene-by-scene and even frame-by-frame basis. Losing the DV HDR support can result in scenes that look too dark, appear like a negative image, or have an odd tint to them.
@UHD4k I don’t know if it’s just me but today on my Apple TV 4K when I watch an Apple TV+ show (See and Morning show) it’s in HDR instead of Dolby vision. Used to work fine. Weird.
— Djems (@Djems94) December 6, 2019
Some users have suggested that the affected episodes may still be encoded in Dolby Vision and it's actually a bug in Apple TV's Match Dynamic Range feature that's preventing the set-top box from outputting the source content correctly. However, it seems more likely that Apple has removed support from the source content while it resolves a problem streaming shows in Dolby Vision.
It's worth noting that the problem doesn't currently seem to affect all shows on Apple TV+ for at least some users. There are scattered reports that "The Elephant Mother" documentary and Apple's "Dickinson" show still appear to be streaming in full Dolby Vision HDR, as do some kids shows like "Snoopy in Space."
We've contacted Apple for comment on the issue and will update this article if we learn anything more.
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On our YouTube channel, we have an ongoing video series that's designed to highlight new, interesting, and useful iOS apps that we think are worth downloading and checking out.
There are so many apps in the iOS App Store that it can be difficult to find new apps to download, plus it's easy to overlook great apps that are a bit older. Our app lists include both new and old apps that we recommend and have tested out.
What the Golf? (Free, but requires Apple Arcade) - Apple Arcade, which offers tons of games for $4.99 per month, is a great deal, and we've come across quite a few games that make the subscription price worth it. One such game is What the Golf, a fun action game that takes golf to new places. What the Golf is described as the game for people who hate golf, so don't let the name fool you - this is a fun little game where the goal is to get an object (not always a golf ball) to a hole. There are fun puns, silly levels, ragdoll mechanics, and genuinely difficult content to contend with. It's the perfect game to pick up for a few minutes when waiting in line.
1.1.1.1 (Free) - Created by Cloudflare, 1.1.1.1 is a free app that uses WARP, which is technically a type of VPN, but it's simpler than other VPN apps. 1.1.1.1 doesn't hide your IP like a traditional VPN, but it does encrypt all of your traffic and employ Cloudflare's DNS service to make your internet usage more private and secure. Once you toggle it on, 1.1.1.1 works in the background to replace the connection between your phone and your internet, preventing anyone from seeing what you're doing on the internet. It's free and collects no data, but there is a WARP+ option that promises faster internet speeds for $4.99 per month.
Noto (Free) - Noto is simple note taking app that makes it easy to create and organize your notes, plus it has a Mac app counterpart so you can use it cross device. Noto has a slick, straightforward design, but it also features powerful editing tools, a dark mode, a checklist for to-do items, a useful search tool, and more. Noto is free to use, but there is a paid option to unlock features like attachments and exports.
Enlight Pixaloop (Free) - Enlight Pixaloop is a fun little app that lets you add movement to your photos, bringing them to life. You can select parts of your photos to animate, and doing so takes just a few taps and swipes. You can, for example, animate water or the sky for neat effects, or add movement to objects like towers, umbrellas, and more. Pixaloop is free to download, but unlocking all of the app's features requires a $3.99 per month subscription fee or a $60 one time purchase.
Microsoft Math Solver (Free) - For our readers still in school, we wanted to highlight Microsoft Math Solver, which is a super handy app that can help you with math problems. Microsoft Math Solver lets you write a math problem on screen or use the camera to snap a photo of a problem and it provides you with a step-by-step explanation on how to solve it. The app can also generate similar math problems so you can practice. It works with elementary math, pre-algebra, algebra, word problems, basic calculus, and statistics.
Have a favorite iOS app? Let us know in the comments. We're always looking for new iOS app ideas for this series, and we'll check out suggestions from MacRumors readers. You can see our recommendations from previous months here, and don't miss our Mac app series featuring great Mac apps worth downloading.
Apple today seeded the fourth betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.3 updates to developers and public beta testers, two weeks after seeding third betas and over a month after the release of iOS 13.2 and iPadOS 13.2 with new emoji, Siri privacy controls, Deep Fusion for iPhone 11, and more.
iOS and iPadOS 13.3 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed.
iOS 13.3 introduces Communication Limits for Screen Time, a feature that Apple promised would be coming in an iOS 13 update. Communication Limits allow parents to control who their children are able to contact both during downtime and during Screen Time.
Communication Limits include FaceTime, Phone, and Messages, along with iCloud contacts. Calls to emergency numbers are always allowed and will turn off communication limits for 24 hours when placed.
The update features support for NFC, USB, and Lightning FIDO2-compliant security keys in Safari. That means physical security keys like the Lightning-equipped YubiKey can be used for more secure two-factor authentication in place of a software-based two-factor authentication option.
In the Keyboards section of the Settings app (under General), there's a new toggle that prevents Animoji and Memoji stickers from being displayed as an option on the Emoji Keyboard, and when editing a video, there's an option to save the edited version as a new clip rather than saving over the original. Apple has also tweaked the Apple Watch app icon, changing the color of the Digital Crown from black to gray.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
watchOS 6.1.1 appears to be a minor update focusing on performance improvements and bug fixes that weren't able to be addressed in watchOS 6.1.
No new features were found in the first three betas of watchOS 6.1.1, but we'll update this article should new features be found in the fourth beta.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 13.3 update to developers and public beta testers, two weeks after seeding the third beta and over a month after releasing the tvOS 13.2 update.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 13.3 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.
tvOS updates have historically been minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than major outward-facing changes. Apple provides little to no information on what's included in tvOS beta updates, so we may not discover any major changes after installing the software.
The update does, however, include a useful new setting that's designed to let you change the main banner interface in the TV+ app from What to Watch to Up Next, which shows content from shows that you're already watching instead of show suggestions.
The option can be accessed by going to the Settings app, choosing Apps, and selecting the TV app. From there, select Home Screen and choose "Up Next" in the "Top Shelf" section.
While we don't often know full details about what's new in tvOS during the beta testing process, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download it upon release.
Apple today updated its Clips app designed for the iPhone and the iPad, introducing Animoji and Memoji support for the first time. With the Animoji and Memoji addition, video recordings can be made with the Animoji and Memoji characters.
Users can share personal video messages, slideshows, school projects and more, with Animoji and Memoji able to follow the movement of a user's face for "fun selfie videos" using the front-facing camera. Prior to now, Animoji and Memoji were limited to FaceTime and Messages.
Memoji created and customized in the Messages app will be integrated automatically into clips, and Animoji and Memoji video clips can be layered with existing Clips features like filters, animated text, and music.
For those unfamiliar with the Clips app, it's a video editing app that lets users combine video clips, images, and photos with voice-based titles, stickers, music, filters, and graphics to create unique videos that can be shared on social media.
Today's update also introduces new stickers featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse, along with a new winter-themed poster. Using Animoji and Memoji in Clips requires a device with a TrueDepth camera.
Clips was last updated in April 2019 before today's major Animoji and Memoji addition. The app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Earlier this week, security researcher Brian Krebs found that the new iPhone 11 Pro models access user location data even when all apps and system services on the iPhone are set to not request the data.
Krebs told Apple that he had found a possible privacy bug as this presumably should not happen, but Apple told him that there were no concerns and the iPhone was operating as designed. "It is expected behavior that the Location Services icon appears in the status bar when Location Services is enabled. The icon appears for system services that do not have a switch in Settings," Apple said.
Krebs came to the conclusion that Apple has certain system services that check for location regardless of whether the setting has been disabled individually for apps and system services, which, as it turns out, is accurate.
Apple today provided more context in a statement to TechCrunch, explaining that the new iPhone models that have a U1 ultra wideband chip are using location data to make sure they're not in restricted areas.
As Apple explains, there are some areas where ultra wideband technology is not allowed because of international regulations, so the iPhone must make sure it is not in these locations.
Ultra wideband technology is an industry standard technology and is subject to international regulatory requirements that require it to be turned off in certain locations. iOS uses Location Services to help determine if iPhone is in these prohibited locations in order to disable ultra wideband and comply with regulations.
The management of ultra wideband compliance and its use of location data is done entirely on the device and Apple is not collecting user location data.
Apple says that the location checks are done on device and no data about location is being sent to Apple's servers.
In the future, Apple plans to provide a dedicated toggle that will turn off the ultra wideband technology and thus disallow the background location tracking that's currently going on.
Apple Watch models with cellular connectivity are now available in New Zealand for the first time ever.
Apple has started selling Series 3 and Series 5 models with Wi-Fi and Cellular through its online store in New Zealand this week, with pricing starting at NZ$549 for Series 3 models and NZ$929 for Series 5 models.
Spark is the only carrier that offers service for the Apple Watch in New Zealand right now. For $12.99 a month, Spark's wearable plan lets you share your iPhone plan's minutes and texts and get unlimited data on the Watch. And until June 6, 2020, Spark is offering the first three months free.
Apple plans to release five new iPhone models in 2020, according to the latest prediction from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a research note with TF International Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo outlined his expectations for a so-called iPhone SE 2 with a 4.7-inch LCD display in the first half of 2020, followed by a higher-end all-OLED lineup consisting of 5.4-inch, two 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch models in the second half of the year.
Kuo expects all four higher-end models to support 5G with a Qualcomm X55 modem, adding that availability of models with Sub-6G-only or Sub-6G-plus-mmWave types of 5G will vary by country.
Kuo expects the iPhone models with mmWave to be available in five markets, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom, while Apple may disable 5G functionality in countries that do not offer 5G service or have a shallow 5G penetration rate to reduce production costs.
The so-called iPhone SE 2 is expected to resemble the iPhone 8, including a 4.7-inch display with bezels and a Touch ID home button, but with a faster A13 chip and 3GB of RAM. The device will continue to have a single-lens rear camera, according to Kuo, like the original iPhone SE and the iPhone 8.
The four higher-end iPhones are expected to resemble the iPhone 4, including a new metal frame that will likely sport flatter edges.
All in all, we can expect the following iPhone lineup in 2020 if Kuo is accurate:
4.7-inch iPhone SE 2: LCD display, single-lens rear camera, no 5G support
5.4-inch iPhone 12: OLED display, dual-lens rear camera, 5G support
6.1-inch iPhone 12: OLED display, dual-lens rear camera, 5G support
Apple plans to launch a high-end iPhone without a Lightning connector in the second half of 2021, according to a new prediction from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The device will supposedly offer a "completely wireless experience," suggesting that Apple is not switching to USB-C, but rather dropping the port entirely.
An excerpt from Kuo's research note with TF International Securities, obtained by MacRumors:
Apple will create more differentiation between the highest-end and high- end models. It will benefit the shipment of the highest-end model and iPhone ASP. Among new 2H21 iPhone models, we expect that the highest-end model would cancel the [Lightning] port and provide the completely wireless experience.
Earlier in 2021, Kuo expects Apple will launch a so-called "iPhone SE 2 Plus" with a full-screen design but no Face ID, resulting in only a small notch. Instead, Touch ID will be built into the power button, according to Kuo:
Apple will launch the iPhone SE2 Plus in 1H21. We predict that the display size will be 5.5 or 6.1-inch. This model will adopt a full-screen design. The notch area will be smaller because of no Face ID support. The Touch ID will be integrated with the power button, which is located on the side.
A report from JPMorgan analysts earlier this week said that Apple will be moving toward a biannual iPhone release cycle to help smooth out sales. Coupled with Kuo's report, it does look like Apple may be moving towards a trend of lower-end iPhones each spring and higher-end iPhones each fall.
In May 2018, Apple announced that it had helped facilitate a collaboration between two of the world's largest aluminum producers, Alcoa and Rio Tinto, on a new carbon-free aluminum smelting process. Together, the companies formed a joint venture called Elysis, working to develop the patented technology further.
Today, Apple said it has now bought the first-ever commercial batch of carbon-free aluminum from Elysis, according to Reuters. The aluminum will be shipped from a Pittsburgh facility and used in unspecified Apple products. iPhones, iPads, Macs, and many other Apple products use aluminum.
"For more than 130 years, aluminum - a material common to so many products consumers use daily - has been produced the same way. That's about to change," said Apple's environmental chief Lisa Jackson.
Alcoa and Rio Tinto aim to commercialize and license the carbon-free smelting process beginning in 2024. If fully developed and implemented, it will eliminate direct greenhouse gas emissions from the traditional aluminum smelting process developed over 130 years ago, according to Apple.
Alcoa said it has been producing aluminum at its facility near Pittsburgh with the new process, to varying degrees, since 2009. The process resulted from decades of research and is described by Apple as the most significant innovation in the aluminum industry in more than a century.
Elysis also plans to manufacture the carbon-free aluminum at a CA$50 million research facility under construction in Saguenay, Quebec, which is slated to open in the second half of 2020, according to the report.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
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