MacRumors

Apple in March introduced a refresh for its 21.5 and 27-inch 4K and 5K iMac models, which did not receive an update in 2018. The new ‌iMac‌ models feature the same design as the previous models, but have upgraded internals, including 8th and 9th-generation Coffee Lake processors from Intel.

In our latest video, we checked out the 27-inch 5K ‌iMac‌ with 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, Radeon Pro Vega 48 graphics, and the high-end 3.6GHz 8-core 9th-generation Core i9 Coffee Lake processor.

Apple hasn't updated the design of the ‌iMac‌ for six years. The slim unibody design that we're familiar with was first introduced in November 2012, and since then, there haven't been any design updates (with the exception of some display changes and port refreshes), which is a bit disappointing.

The 2019 21.5 and 27-inch iMacs continue to feature a slim 5mm display, aluminum stand, aluminum border at the bottom of the machine and relatively thick top and side bezels.

Both ‌iMac‌ sizes feature two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, four USB-A ports, an SD card slot, a headphone jack, and an Ethernet port, with support for one 5K display or two 4K displays. On the 27-inch model, RAM is user upgradeable through a slot in the back of the machine, so upgrading the RAM more affordably after purchase is an option.

The specific model that we tested uses Apple's highest-end ‌iMac‌ processor, the 9th-generation 8-core version from Intel. It's outfitted with 16GB RAM, a Radeon Pro Vega 48 graphics card, and 512GB of storage, making it a higher-end option priced at $3,449 that's ideal for creatives and professionals who need a lot of processing and graphics power.

For work like video editing, intensive photo editing, 3D modeling, and other tasks, you're going to want the best processor and graphics card you can get as these elements are not upgradeable after purchase.

Based on benchmarks, Apple's new 2019 ‌iMac‌ models offer significant speed improvements over the prior 2017 models. Multi-core performance on the machine we tested is up to 66 percent faster, and while single-core gains aren't quite as impressive, it's still approximately 6 to 11 percent faster on average.

This particular high-end ‌iMac‌ with 8-core chip is actually comparable to the 2017 ‌iMac‌ Pro with a 10-core chip. In real-world testing, performance was impressive and the ‌iMac‌ was more than capable of handling our video editing workflow.

Whether or not the 2019 ‌iMac‌ is worth the upgrade depends on your current machine. If you're using a much older model you're going to see significant speed improvements with the latest processors, but compared to something like a 2017 ‌iMac‌, it's probably not worth shelling out the extra cash at this time because the processors are the bulk of what's new.

The 27-inch ‌iMac‌ that we tested is ideal for system-intensive workflows, but if you just need a machine for browsing the web, light photo editing, sending email, and other tasks, one of the more affordable 27-inch machines or even the smaller 21.5-inch iMacs will be a better pick.

If you're in the market for a new ‌iMac‌ and are trying to decide which one to get, make sure to check out our iMac Buyer's Guide.

What do you think of Apple's 2019 ‌iMac‌ refresh? Are you picking up a new machine? Let us know in the comments.

New Jersey resident Gina Priano-Keyser has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Apple this week in U.S. district court, accusing the company of fraudulent business practices and breach of warranty related to the Apple Watch, according to court documents accessed by MacRumors.

Priano-Keyser alleges that all Apple Watches up to and including Series 4 models are prone to a defect that results in the lithium-ion battery swelling and causing the screen to "crack, shatter, or detach from the body" of the watch "through no fault of the wearer, oftentimes only days or weeks after purchase."

The plaintiff believes that Apple either knew or should have known that the Apple Watch models were defective before selling them, adding that they pose "a significant safety hazard to consumers" — a "number" of which have suffered "cuts and burns" as a result of the scratched, shattered, or detached screens.

Apple has acknowledged the possibility of swollen batteries in select Apple Watch models in the past, and offered free repairs up to three years after purchase. However, the complaint alleges that the company often attributes the issue to "accidental damage" and thus "refuses to cover repairs" under warranty.

Priano-Keyser states that she purchased an Apple Watch Series 3 in October 2017. In July 2018, while charging, she alleges that the screen "unexpectedly detached" from the watch's body and cracked. Her daughter "pushed the screen back into place," but the Apple Watch has been "unusable" ever since.

The plaintiff booked a Genius Bar appointment in August 2018, but upon inspection, she alleges that Apple denied to repair the Apple Watch free of charge under warranty and instead quoted her an out-of-warranty fee of $229 for service.

The complaint cites over a dozen similar experiences described by users on the Apple Support Communities over the past few years.

Priano-Keyser is seeking damages in an amount to be proven at trial for herself and all others similarly situated. The proposed class includes all residents of New Jersey who are current and former owners of all models and sizes of the Apple Watch Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 purchased in New Jersey.

The complaint was filed by Shepherd, Finkelman, Miller & Shah, LLP, the same law firm that filed a nearly identical class action lawsuit regarding the swollen Apple Watch batteries in California back in June 2018. That case was tossed by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in January due to being "vague."

"Plaintiff's description of the alleged defect identifies only the consequences of the alleged defect (i.e., cracking, shattering, or detaching), but is notably silent on identifying the defect that causes such consequences," Judge Koh stated.

The lawsuit in New Jersey addresses this by attempting to identify a cause.

"Upon information and belief, the Defect is caused by aging or otherwise faulty li-on batteries, or by defective internal components of the Watches that regulate temperature, electrical currents, charging, and other mechanisms that could affect the Watches' li-on batteries," the complaint states.

It remains to be seen if the New Jersey case proceeds to trial or is also tossed.

Full complaint is embedded after the break…

➜ Click here to read rest of article...

Some iPad Pro owners who have 2017 and 2018 models have increasingly been running into issues with screen stuttering, based on a slew of threads on the Apple Support communities and the MacRumors forums.

Affected users have ‌iPad Pro‌ models that sometimes refuse to register touch gestures, stutter when scrolling, miss keystrokes, and have other similar issues. We here at MacRumors have not been able to replicate this issue, but the sheer number of complaints suggests something may be going on with the ‌iPad Pro‌'s display.

MacRumors reader Flasch describes the issue he had with his ‌iPad Pro‌ right out of the box:

I bought a new 12.9" iPad pro on the first available day last Wednesday. The o, k, and to a lesser extent i and j keys on the on-screen software keyboard consistently recognized touch with a click and change in colour of the key but the letter would often not appear in any program. For o in particular, it often required several attempts to make the letter register.

Spent time on the phone with apple and they didn't have a solution. A full restore to factory settings didn't help.

I returned it to the store today and picked up a new 12.9" iPad pro. Brought it home and this one is worse. Ofter 5 or more presses of o or k to get it to register. When the iPad is turned clockwise to landscape mode, the q and w are then in the same region of the device and they don't work either. Seven presses of the q before a letter appeared on the screen. It seems the bottom right of the touchscreen has an issue.

Other ‌iPad Pro‌ users are having the same issue with touchscreen unresponsiveness, which can also impact scrolling and general usage. From MacRumors reader Codeseven:

Newest 12.9'" iPad Pro, 1 TB/6 Gb model running iOS 12.1.3., no Screen Protector applied. Seems to occur on all areas of the screen.

Screen freezes. Started cropping up just in the last few weeks, seems to be getting worse. Reacts as though the screen was very dirty or my finger isn't contacting then screen completely. Interestingly, the freeze will sometimes stop when the iPad is changed from any angle to level. Also, sometimes if allot of finger pressure is used then the freeze is gone.

The problem appears to be primarily impacting new 2018 ‌iPad Pro‌ models, though there have also been complaints from some 2016 and 2017 ‌iPad Pro‌ owners.

A video demonstrating the stuttering issue

MacRumors reader Roger, who let us know about the issue, says that after approximately a month, his 2018 ‌iPad Pro‌ had issues with scrolling and wouldn't register input. He was able to get a replacement, as were many other customers who have experienced this issue, but he said that the replacement model has also been exhibiting the same issues.

It's not clear if this is a software or a hardware issue, and there are certainly many 2017 and 2018 ‌iPad Pro‌ models out there that have no problems like this at all, which makes it difficult to determine what's going on. Some of the issues with the 2017 model appear to have started with the release of iOS 11.3, but have persisted through software updates. Many users who are running iOS 12.2 are still reporting problems.

Some users have noticed that the stuttering problem goes away on the 2018 models when the Apple Pencil 2 is attached to the iPad, perhaps suggestive of an Apple Pencil-related connectivity issue.

On the whole, though, it's not clear what's causing issues for ‌iPad Pro‌ owners who are having touchscreen responsiveness problems. Anyone with an unresponsive touchscreen should bring it into an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Repair Shop for service as some users have been able to get replacement units.

Apple today updated its Clips app for the iPhone and the iPad to introduce new posters, new title and caption options, updated stickers, a camcorder filter, and more.

The Clips app, for those unfamiliar with it, is a video editing app that's designed to let users combine video clips, images, and photos with voice-based titles, music, filters, and graphics to create unique videos that can be shared on social media.

Apple has added a new camcorder filter that's designed to introduce a retro video camera look for your videos, and there are eight new poster background options with colorful vintage designs, a camcorder recording screen, and an animated globe in honor of earth day.

You can create titles and captions using three newly introduced Live Titles styles, and there are new 8-bit and 3D stickers you can add to your videos. Songs created in GarageBand or other music apps can be added to your Clips projects, and there's now ClassKit support to allow students to deliver video assignments to teachers through the Schoolwork app. Full release notes are below:

- Use the new camcorder filter to give your videos a retro video camera look
- Choose from 8 new posters including options with solid backgrounds, colorful vintage designs, a classic blue camcorder recording screen, and an animated globe to celebrate Earth Day.
- Create titles and captions with 3 new Live Titles styles featuring static text that appears all at once or animated text that highlights each word as it's spoken
- Apply new 8-bit and 3D-styled stickers to add emphasis to your videos
- Create songs in GarageBand and other music apps, then add them directly to new or existing Clips projects
- Duplicate and rename projects
- Share projects with friends via AirDrop or email, save them to Files, or upload them to cloud storage service with share extensions
- ClassKit support lets students deliver video assignments to teachers using the Schoolwork app

Apple first released clips in early 2017 and has since updated it multiple times. Clips is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 5s and later, the original iPad Air and later, and the iPad mini 2 and later. Style transfer effects require the ‌iPhone‌ 7 or 2017 iPad Pro or later, while Selfie Scenes require an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad Pro‌ with TrueDepth Camera.

Clips can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

iFixit today shared a teardown of the new iPad mini, confirming specs and providing some additional details about the component parts of Apple's smallest fifth-generation tablet, which is compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil.

iFixit notes that the only exterior clue that distinguishes the new iPad mini from the earlier model is its model number, A2133, and the removal of regulatory markings on the back, which can now be found in software.

Inside, the new mini has an 8-megapixel rear camera and inherits the 7-megapixel ƒ/2.2 front-facing camera setup that first appeared in the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, offering a big step up from the 1.2-megapixel sensor in the ‌iPad mini‌ 4.

Other changes in evidence include a faster A12 Bionic processor, 3GB of RAM (up from 2GB), True Tone sensors, a migrated set of microphones now centered near the front-facing camera, and a different battery type in the ‌iPad mini‌ 5, although its 19.32 Wh rating matches that offered by the previous ‌iPad mini‌.

Like the iPad Air (iFixit teardown due tomorrow), the ‌iPad mini‌ features two speakers for stereo sound, dual microphones, Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 802.11ac, Gigabit class LTE on cellular models, and eSIM technology.

While many components are modular and can be replaced independently, iFixit notes that gobs of adhesive hold many parts and cables in place, including the Home button, complicating all repairs. Replacing the battery is also said to be possible, but still unnecessarily difficult. As a result, ‌iPad mini‌ earns an iFixit repairability score of 2/10.

Apple plans to launch a trio of OLED iPhones next year that includes smaller and larger-sized models than the current crop of Apple's flagship smartphones, according to sources from Taiwan's supply chain.

DigiTimes reports this morning that Apple will release three OLED iPhones in 2020 available in 5.42-, 6.06- and 6.67-inch sizes.

Meanwhile DigiTimes' sources indicate that, as expected, this year's three models will follow the screen technologies and sizes of 2018 iPhones; namely, two OLED models with 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch screens, and a 6.1-inch LCD model.

In a noteworthy tidbit coming out Taiwan's handset component supply chain, the smallest iPhone model coming in 2020 will reportedly include Samsung or LG touchscreen tech that will allow Apple to make the display of the phone thinner than on previous handsets.

Additionally, the 5.42-inch model to be released in 2020 may come with either Samsung Display's Y-Octa or LG Display's TOE touch technology, indicated the sources, noting that both touch solutions promises to trim down the display cost.

Y-Octa is an advanced flexible AMOLED display technology that removes the film substrate and allows the touch circuit to be directly patterned on the film's encapsulation layer, making the display thinner, indicated the sources.

According to ‌DigiTimes‌' sources, Samsung will maintain its dominance as the main OLED panel supplier for Apple next year, while it remains to be seen whether LG or BOE Technology can gain OLED panel orders from the company.

The same supply chain sources estimate that Apple will ship between 80 and 82 million iPhones in the first half of this year and around 180-190 million units for all of 2019.

Previous rumors suggest 2020 iPhones will feature triple-lens rear camera arrangements, improved photo capturing tools, and more powerful processors. Bloomberg has suggested it could be a prelude to an AR headset, and past rumors have indicated Apple could launch that device as early as 2020.

Bragi, a company known for making some of the first wire-free headphones to compete with the AirPods, has exited the wearables market, reports Wareable.

Bragi says that its product business has been sold to a third-party buyer and that while it will continue to license its IP and artificial intelligence, it will no longer be making new devices.

From the company's CEO:

"Bragi's technology suite is applied beyond our own products to partners and headphone brands. The Dash Pro featured groundbreaking ultra efficient AI and software that could be updated with new features such as Amazon Alexa, language translation and personalised hearing. With the sale of our product business, Bragi has completed its transformation into a software, AI and IP licensing company."

The first wire-free headphones from Bragi, The Dash, debuted on Kickstarter in 2014. The company raised millions, and ahead of when the AirPods launched, Bragi announced an AirPods competitor, "The Headphone."

The Headphone was a cheaper version of The Dash designed specifically to compete with the AirPods, but Apple's AirPods were a major hit with Apple customers and we heard little else from Bragi after the launch of the Headphone and a follow up to the Dash called the Dash Pro. Bragi's products were decent, but were never quite able to measure up to the AirPods.

All products were out of stock on Bragi's website as of January 2019, though Bragi's CEO did not initially admit to the imminent closure of the company.

Bragi did not unveil who purchased the rights to its headphones products, but said Bragi customers who own Bragi devices will continue to be able to access support.

Apple was desperate to secure deals with The Washington Post or The New York Times for its recently announced Apple News+ service but was ultimately unable to persuade them to sign up despite a "vigorous courtship," according to a new report from Vanity Fair.

Shortly after Apple's Texture deal last spring, Apple began discussions with the two news sites, putting a "tremendous" amount of pressure on them and promising to significantly increase their readership.

"Eddy Cue was in and out of their offices really trying to woo them." Cue's elevator pitch, according to people familiar with the discussions, was, "We'll make you the most-read newspaper in the world."

Apple was aiming for access to the full content from the two newspapers, rather than a pared down offering or a selection of stories on a specific set of topics. Apple is said to have not wanted "limitations in terms of content."

Neither The New York Times nor The Washington Post could be convinced to join ‌Apple News‌+. Both publications have successful online subscription offerings already. The New York Times charges $15 per month for a basic digital subscription, while The Washington Post charges $10. The newspapers get to keep 100 percent of the revenue brought in by those subscriptions.

Apple wanted to include full access to the content from the news sites for the $9.99 per month asking price of ‌Apple News‌+. According to prior reports, Apple keeps 50 percent of the subscription revenue for ‌Apple News‌+ and splits the other 50 percent among publishers based on how much time is spent consuming their content.

If The New York Times and The Washington Post joined ‌Apple News‌+, their existing subscribers would have little reason to keep paying them $10 to $15 per month instead of paying the $9.99 subscription to ‌Apple News‌+, which would also include other news content and magazines. Apple believes its huge subscriber base would ultimately bring more readers to the news sites, but neither newspaper was swayed by that argument.

Meredith Kopit Levin, the chief operating officer for The New York Times, told Vanity Fair that the newspaper wants to have a direct relationship with its readers.

"We've been pretty deliberate about saying that the best place you can experience journalism is through a relationship with a news provider. So far for us, that has meant a direct relationship with users. The more we have a relationship with users, the better we think our business will be, and the better the experience that we can provide to them."

A spokesperson for The Washington Post said that the paper's focus is on growing its own subscription base, which meant joining ‌Apple News‌+ "just did not make sense" at the current time.

While Apple was not able to secure deals with either The Washington Post nor The New York Times, it did ink a deal with The Wall Street Journal. The full content from The ‌Wall Street Journal‌ is unlocked for ‌Apple News‌+ subscribers even though a standard subscription starts at $19.49 per month for the first year, after which it goes up to $38.99.

There are caveats, though. A limited selection of general news and opinion pieces are promoted through ‌Apple News‌+, and other content from The ‌Wall Street Journal‌ must be manually searched for. ‌Apple News‌+ also only provides three days worth of archives from The ‌Wall Street Journal‌.

According to Vanity Fair, The ‌Wall Street Journal‌ has less to lose than other news sites. Its main subscriber base consists of corporate accounts and "high net-worth individuals" interested in business and finance news rather than the more general news content that will be promoted via ‌Apple News‌+.

Apple has also secured deals with hundreds of magazines, and much of ‌Apple News‌+ comprises access to magazines like National Geographic, Vogue, The New Yorker, and other high profile titles. Magazines also have less to lose than digital sites already offering subscriptions as most don't have established digital subscription businesses.

Publications that do not have large audiences paying for digital access each month have the potential to be more successful with ‌Apple News‌, but for sites like The New York Times and The Washington Post, there's a real risk that joining would cannibalize existing subscribers.

It's not yet clear if ‌Apple News‌+ will ultimately be successful for Apple's media partners, and it's possible that if it is, news sites that have declined joining will do so in the future.

For more on ‌Apple News‌+, make sure to check out our full guide on the subscription service.

Apple's 2019 iPhones are going to have a two-way wireless charging feature that will allow the iPhone to charge other devices like the AirPods, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo again confirmed in a report sent out to investors today.

Kuo previously mentioned the feature briefly in a February note, and today he goes into a bit more depth about the suppliers who will benefit from the feature.

Two-way wireless charging, or bilateral charging, will let the Qi-based iPhones coming in 2019 charge another ‌iPhone‌ or the new AirPods with Wireless Charging Case. You'll essentially be able to charge any Qi-based device with your ‌iPhone‌, as it will work as a wireless charger itself. From Kuo:

We expect the new 2H19 iPhone models will support two-way wireless charging. Though the iPhone is not the first high-end smartphone to be equipped with two-way wireless charging, this new function could make it more convenient for users to charge the new AirPods and create a better integrated user experience of the iPhone and AirPods.

This is a feature that Samsung has already debuted in its 2019 Galaxy smartphones, and in those devices, it's known as Wireless PowerShare. Wireless PowerShare allows the 2019 Galaxy smartphones to charge other Qi-based accessories, including the ‌iPhone‌.

According to Kuo, suppliers such as Compeq (will supply battery boards) and STMicro (will supply two-way wireless charging controller) stand to benefit from Apple's inclusion of two-way wireless charging as it will increase the average selling price of key components.

To accommodate two-way wireless charging, Kuo believes battery boards included in 2019 iPhones will increase in size, as will battery pack capacity. Kuo says that battery capacities for the 6.5-inch ‌iPhone‌ XS Max successor could increase by 10 to 15 percent, while the battery capacity of the 5.8-inch OLED ‌iPhone‌ XS successor could grow by 20 to 25 percent. The ‌iPhone‌ XR successor isn't expected to see much of a gain, though, with Kuo predicting growth of 0 to 5 percent.