During today's earnings call covering the first fiscal quarter of 2020, Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked about 5G, and how much of a demand driver it might be for Apple.
Cook of course said that he wouldn't comment on future Apple products with respect to 5G, but said 5G is in the "early innings of its deployment on a global basis."
Cook went on to say that Apple "couldn't be prouder" of its current iPhone lineup, and is excited about the upcoming product pipeline. "We wouldn't trade our position with anybody," he said.
In another question, Cook was asked about the demand for 5G and the demand for lower-cost iPhones, and how that might impact Apple's future iPhone product plans, which Cook also declined to comment on. He did say that in general, "it's important to look around the world at 5G deployment schedules." Cook said he will not comment on the price of handsets that are not announced.
Rumors suggest that Apple's 2020 iPhones will include 5G support for the first time, allowing the devices to connect to available mmWave and Sub-6GHz 5G networks, which carriers are in the process of rolling out in the United States and around the world. Rumors indicate Apple will use Qualcomm's 5G chips for 5G connectivity.
During today's earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook commented on the coronavirus outbreak in China, which investors fear could potentially impact Apple's business, affecting production of both current iPhones and the new low-cost iPhone that's on the horizon.
Cook said that Apple is donating to China to help with the outbreak and working with partner companies.
We're donating to groups that are working to contain the outbreak. We're working closely with our Apple team members in the affected areas, and our thoughts are with all of those in the region.
In an interview with CNBC, Cook confirmed that employee travel has been restricted to "business critical travel" only as of last week, and employees in Wuhan and across China are receiving care kits from Apple.
"We're restricting travel to business critical travel. For employees that are in the Wuhan area, we are providing care kits and supplying them across our employee population in China as well.
Cook said that Apple's decision to set next quarter guidance with a range of $4 billion is reflective of the coronavirus outbreak and the "uncertainty around that." Apple's guidance for Q2 2020 is $63 to $67 billion, a larger range than normal.
The situation is still emerging, said Cook, and Apple is monitoring the situation closely and gathering data points.
According to Cook, supplier factories in wider China are opening late after Chinese New Year, on February 10, which Apple is working to manage. Apple does have suppliers in the Wuhan area, but all of these suppliers have alternate suppliers, and Apple is working to ensure good supplies. Apple has accounted for the delayed startup with its larger range of outcomes.
In its retail stores, Apple is limiting hours, checking employees, and sanitizing its stores regularly. One store has also been shut down for the time being. Apple's retail sales have slowed due to virus concerns, but this is accounted for in Apple's guidance numbers for Q2 2020.
Following poor iPhone sales in the first quarter of 2019, Apple saw significant improvement in the first quarter of 2020, with iPhone sales bringing in $56 billion in revenue for 8 percent growth.
According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, response to the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max has been highly positive. The iPhone 11 was the top-selling iPhone every week during the December quarter, and the three new iPhone models were Apple's most popular iPhones.
Apple saw double digit growth in the United States, UK, France, Singapore, Brazil, Mainland China, India, Thailand, Turkey, and more. In greater China specifically, Apple has returned to growth.
Apple made a major trade-in push in 2019, which was successful, and Apple saw iPhone trade-in numbers double year over year.
In the first fiscal quarter of 2019, Apple's services segment brought in $12.7 billion, up from $10.9 billion in the year-ago quarter, marking growth of 17 percent. Every geographic saw double-digit growth, setting new records.
Apple across 2019 focused heavily on services, introducing Apple News+, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and Apple Card, all of which have contributed to the company's services growth. Cook shared some details on some of Apple's most popular services.
The App Store set a new December revenue record and hit $386 million in sales on New Year's Day, and Apple News has more than 100 million active users in the U.S., Australia, UK, and Canada. Apple Pay revenue and transactions more than doubled, exceeding 15 billion transactions. Apple plans to expand Apple Pay transit features to allow customers in Shenzhen and Guangzhou to pay for trips using a tap of the iPhone or the Apple Watch.
Cook said that Apple TV+ is off to a "rousing start" and is "very strong" for people getting it in a bundle and people who have not purchased a new Apple device. Apple Arcade is also off to a strong start.
Cook also told Reuters that Apple expects to surpass its goal of 500 million subscribers for 2020 during current the quarter ending in March, well ahead of schedule. Apple is now aiming to hit 600 million subscribers by the end of the calendar year.
During the first quarter of 2020, Apple's wearables category set a new all-time revenue record, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Apple's wearables earnings category, which includes AirPods and Apple Watch along with accessories like Beats headphones and HomePod, hit $10 billion, up from $7.3 billion in the year-ago quarter.
Wearables, Home, and Accessories revenue surpassed Mac revenue for the first time this quarter. Mac revenue was at $7.2 billion in Q1 2020.
According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple could not make enough AirPods and Apple Watch Series 3 devices to meet demand during the quarter, and supplies continue to be low. Cook told Reuters that Apple is "working on both of those very hard."
Apple Watch set a new all-time revenue record during the quarter, and more than 75 percent of new customers during the quarter were new to Apple Watch. Both AirPods and Apple Watch were "must-have holiday gifts," driving growth even as supplies were constrained.
Cook says that Apple's wearables business is now the size of a Fortune 150 company.
In today's earnings release where Apple reported record numbers due to the strength of iPhone sales, wearables, and services, Apple said that it now has 1.5 billion active devices.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the milestone was hit over the holiday period, and serves as a "powerful testament to the satisfaction, engagement and loyalty of our customers -- and a great driver of our growth across the board."
Apple's active installed base include iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch models in use around the world.
The active install base has grown from 1.4 billion, a number that Apple reported in January 2019.
Apple today announced financial results for its first fiscal quarter of 2020, which corresponds to the fourth calendar quarter of 2019.
For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $91.8 billion and net quarterly profit of $22.2 billion, or $4.99 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $84.3 billion and net quarterly profit of $20.0 billion, or $4.18 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. The quarter was the best in Apple's history in terms of revenue and profit, topping the first fiscal quarter of 2018.
Gross margin for the quarter was 38.4 percent, compared to 38.0 percent in the year-ago quarter, with international sales accounting for 61 percent of revenue. Apple also declared an upcoming dividend payment of $0.77 per share, payable February 13 to shareholders of record as of February 10.
“We are thrilled to report Apple’s highest quarterly revenue ever, fueled by strong demand for our iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models, and all-time records for Services and Wearables,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “During the holiday quarter our active installed base of devices grew in each of our geographic segments and has now reached over 1.5 billion. We see this as a powerful testament to the satisfaction, engagement and loyalty of our customers — and a great driver of our growth across the board.”
Apple's guidance for the second quarter of fiscal 2020 includes expected revenue of $63-67 billion and gross margin between 38 and 39 percent.
Apple will provide live streaming of its fiscal Q1 2020 financial results conference call at 2:00 PM Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights.
iOS 13 is now installed on 77 percent of iPhones that were released in the last four years, according to updated adoption numbers that Apple shared today on its App Store support site for developers.
17 percent of iPhone owners with a device released in the last four years continue to run iOS 12, while 6 percent run an earlier version of iOS.
A total of 70 percent of all iOS devices run iOS 13, with this number taking into account older iPhones as well. 23 percent of total iPhones have iOS 12 installed, and 7 percent have an earlier version of iOS installed.
Apple is breaking down iOS 13 installation rates in a new way as of this latest update, providing details on both iOS and iPadOS.
According to the new numbers, 79 percent of all iPads introduced in the last four years are running iPadOS 13, 19 percent run iOS 12, and 2 percent use an earlier version of iOS.
When it comes to all iPads, including older models, 57 percent run iPadOS 13, 27 percent run iOS 12, and 16 percent run an earlier version of iOS, suggesting there are quite a lot of older iPads still in circulation, or people aren't updating iPads as often as iPhones.
Apple last shared updated iOS installation numbers in October, and at that time, 55 percent of all iOS devices from the last four years ran iOS 13, while 50 percent of all devices had the update. iOS 13 installation has grown quite a bit over the course of the last three months.
For comparison's sake, during early January 2019, iOS 12 was installed on 78 percent of all devices introduced in the last four years.
When Apple's latest iPhones were introduced in September, Filmic, known for its video recording apps, showed off a new app designed to capture video from multiple iPhone cameras at the same time, allowing for unique new footage.
Filmic today made that functionality available for Apple's latest iPhones through a new DoubleTake app, and we thought we'd check it out to see if it's as interesting and useful as it sounds.
The DoubleTake app works with all of the cameras on Apple's newest iPhones, so on the iPhone 11 Pro, that includes the telephoto lens, the wide-angle lens, and the super wide-angle lens, along with the front-facing selfie camera.
Using the app is fairly simple. When you open it up, there's a video recording interface and four different icons, one in each corner of the app that correspond to different functions. The top left icon lets you access recorded videos, the top right icon lets you swap between cameras, the bottom right icon offers a record button, and the bottom left icon lets you configure which lenses you want to record with.
If you tap on the lens icon, you'll see four boxes on the iPhone 11 Pro (fewer on iPhones with fewer cameras like the dual-lens iPhone 11). You can tap on two of the four lenses to record with, as DoubleTake supports recording from just two of the cameras simultaneously.
Once you've chosen the cameras, you can adjust frame rate (24, 25, and 30 fps are options) and then choose how you want the video displayed when you're recording. There's a picture-in-picture option that shows the secondary camera in a pop out lens, a split screen view, or a discrete view.
These modes affect what the finalized video looks like. The recording features a picture-in-picture recording with that option selected, or a dual-screen recording with split view selected. If you choose discrete, it looks similar to picture-in-picture when recording, but you end up with two separate videos, one from each camera, rather than a combined view.
Discrete is useful if you want to capture a standard video but aren't sure which lens might be best. You can record with the ultra wide-angle and wide-angle lenses at the same time, getting two videos you can work with and edit in post production.
The picture-in-picture and split view modes are perhaps most useful when recording with one of the rear cameras and the selfie camera as you can capture an event and a personal reaction at the same time, or use it for vlogging purposes.
Recording video can be done in either landscape or portrait mode, and the app is no frills and simple to use, so even those not familiar with videography on the iPhone will be able to use it to capture video.
Videos can be saved to the camera roll, shared with people or social media networks, or deleted. There are no editing tools in DoubleTake, so that will need to be done in either the Camera app itself or another third-party video editing app.
DoubleTake is a neat little concept that's easy to use and can create some fun, unique videos. The only major downside to the app is that recordings are limited to 1080p at 30fps, which means no 4K video recordings. It's possible that will be updated in the future, but for now, it's a limiting factor. The app should still produce video that's great for sharing on social networks and with friends.
DoubleTake works with the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. It is not compatible with older iPhones or iPads. For those who want to try it out, it's a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]
What do you think of the DoubleTake app and what will you use it for, if you're planning to download it? Let us know in the comments.
Signs of new Powerbeats 4 wireless earphones were found in the iOS 13.3 beta back in December, and in today's iOS 13.3.1 software release, there are a few icons that depict the design of the new earbuds.
Based on the artwork in the update, the Powerbeats 4 will feature a design that's a cross between the current Powerbeats3 earbuds and the Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds.
The Powerbeats 4 appear to have a more curved design that's similar to the Powerbeats Pro, with the same angled in-ear fit and wraparound earhooks. The Powerbeats 4, like the Powerbeats 3, will not be wire-free, though, and a wire is depicted trailing down from the bottom of the earhook.
That will be a bit of different fit and feel than the current Powerbeats 3 earbuds, which have a cord attached to the opposite side of the earhooks. Powerbeats 4 are still Bluetooth, but the wire connects them to one another.
Powerbeats Pro icon on left, new Powerbeats 4 icon in middle, Powerbeats 3 icon on right
We can expect the Powerbeats4 to offer the same features that have been added to modern earbuds like the AirPods 2, AirPods Pro, and Powerbeats Pro such as an H1 chip for improved connectivity and 'Hey Siri" and "Announce Messages with Siri" support.
Powerbeats 4 will likely be close to identical to the Powerbeats Pro, but with a wire and a more affordable price tag. Apple charges $249.95 for the Powerbeats Pro, and $199.95 for the Powerbeats3. It's likely the Powerbeats 4 will be priced similarly to Powerbeats3.
There's no word on when Apple plans to release the Powerbeats 4, but a launch could come soon as the artwork is in place in the iOS 13.3.1 software.
Alongside iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1, Apple has released new 13.3.1 software for the HomePod, introducing some minor bug fixes and performance improvements.
Today's update brings support for Indian English Siri voices and Apple says it also includes "general improvements for stability and quality."
The new HomePod software will be installed automatically on the HomePod, but you can also manually update and check your software version by following the instructions in our HomePod software how to.
Apple today released macOS Catalina 10.15.3, the third update to the macOS Catalina operating system that was released in October. macOS Catalina 10.15.3 comes over a month after the release of macOS Catalina 10.15.2.
macOS Catalina 10.15.3 can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for free using the Update feature in the System Preferences app, and it is available to anyone who has a compatible Mac.
macOS Catalina 10.15.3 has code in it that suggests a new "Pro Mode" is coming to Apple's Macs. Pro Mode appears to be an optional setting that overrides fan speed limits and energy saving restrictions to improve performance. The code says that apps "may run faster" but battery life could decrease and fan noise could increase.
It's not entirely clear if Pro Mode is coming to Macs in the 10.15.3 release, but the code is there so it is a possibility. According to Apple's release notes, the update includes Pro Display XDR optimizations and multi-stream video editing improvements.
The macOS Catalina 10.15.3 update improves the stability, reliability and security of your Mac, and is recommended for all users. This update: - Optimizes gamma handling of low gray levels on Pro Display XDR for SDR workflows when using macOS - Improves multi-stream video editing performance for HEVC and H.264 encoded 4K video on the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019)
Apple today released watchOS 6.1.2, the fourth update to the watchOS 6 operating system designed to run on modern Apple Watch models. watchOS 6.1.2 comes more than a month after the release of watchOS 6.1.1.
watchOS 6.1.2 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.
There were no new features found during the watchOS 6.1.2 beta testing period, and according to Apple's release notes, the update "provides important security updates and is recommended for all users."
For more detail on the features included in the overall watchOS 6 software release, make sure to check out our watchOS 6 roundup.
Apple today released tvOS 13.3.1, a minor update to the tvOS 13 operating system that runs on the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 13.3.1 comes over a month after the release of tvOS 13.3.
tvOS 13.3.1, which is a free update, can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System --> Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to tvOS 13.3.1 automatically.
tvOS updates are usually minor, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than significant outward-facing changes. Apple provides limited information on what's new in tvOS updates, and we didn't find new features during the tvOS 13.3.1 beta testing period.
Apple today released iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1, minor updates to the iOS 13 operating system. iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1 come over a month after the release of iOS/iPadOS 13.3, which brought Communication Limits for Screen Time.
The iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1 updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released an iOS 12.4.5 update for older devices.
iOS 13.3.1 includes a "Networking & Wireless" toggle that turns off the U1 Ultra Wideband chip in the latest iPhones. The feature, located in the Privacy > Location Services section of the Settings app, turns off location for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Ultra Wideband.
Apple added this location toggle after it was discovered that the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max continue to track user location even when location services options are disabled. This is because there are international regulatory requirements that mandate the U1 chip be disabled in certain locations.
The new toggle makes sure location tracking is off for the U1 chip at all times. Apple has also added a new "Play Again" button when replaying content that you've already watched in the TV app. The update also includes multiple bug fixes for issues that include a Communication Limits bug that allowed it to be bypassed, a problem with Mail that could prevent images from loading, an issue that could case push notifications to fail to be delivered, and more. Apple's full release notes for the update are below:
iOS 13.3.1 includes bug fixes and improvements. This update: - Fixes an issue in Communication Limits that could allow a contact to be added without entering the Screen Time passcode - Adds a setting to control the use of location services by the U1 Ultra Wideband chip - Addresses an issue that could cause a momentary delay before editing a Deep Fusion photo taken on iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro - Resolves an issue with Mail that could cause remote images to load even when the “Load Remote Images” setting is disabled - Fixes an issue that could cause multiple undo dialogs to appear in Mail - Addresses an issue where FaceTime could use the rear facing ultra-wide camera instead of the wide camera - Resolves an issue where push notifications could fail to be delivered over Wi-Fi - Addresses a CarPlay issue that could cause distorted sound when making phone calls in certain vehicles - Introduces support for Indian English Siri voices for HomePod
Apple also has separate release notes for iPadOS 13.3.1:
iPadOS 13.3.1 includes bug fixes and improvements. This update: - Fixes an issue in Communication Limits that could allow a contact to be added without entering the Screen Time passcode - Addresses an issue with Mail that could cause remote images to load even when the “Load Remote Images” setting is disabled - Fixes an issue that could cause multiple undo dialogs to appear in Mail - Resolves an issue where push notifications could fail to be delivered over Wi-Fi - Introduces support for Indian English Siri voices for HomePod
For more on the new features that Apple added to iOS with the launch of iOS 13, make sure to check out our iOS 13 roundup.
Moment, known for its line of high-quality lenses designed for the iPhone, recently came out with its newest lens, a 170-degree 14mm fisheye lens that works with Apple's iPhones, including the newest triple-lens models.
Fisheye lenses are by definition ultra wide-angle lenses and are some of the widest lenses you can get, often offering up a wide view with artful distortion to capture as much of a scene as possible.
Moment's Fisheye lens serves this purpose, and while it might seem entirely unnecessary because of the new ultra wide-angle lens available in the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, it does offer a wider field of view and the ability to use it with the higher-quality wide-angle lens on those devices.
Design wise, the Moment lens features a sturdy metal body with a glass lens inside, and it uses Moment's photography cases to attach to the iPhone. I'm a big fan of the way Moment cases work because it's super simple to get a lens on and take it off when it's not needed, or to swap between multiple lenses.
You simply screw the Fisheye lens onto the back of the lens mount on the case, and it's ready to go. There's no hassling with clips or alignment, which is something that I appreciate about the Moment system. The lens is an M-Series lens, so it works with all of the M-Series cases, which are available for every iPhone starting with the iPhone 6.
Because it has a 170 degree field of view rather than a 120 degree field of view like the ultra wide-angle camera in the newest iPhones, the Moment Fisheye can capture more in the frame for a wider view.
Moment Fisheye lens with Night Mode
There is distortion at the edges, which is to be expected with any Fisheye lens and is sometimes a desirable look, but this distortion can be leveled out using the Moment Pro Camera app. It's not going to create a perfect photo that has zero distortion, but it's decent at cleaning it up and straightening the image out a bit. The app also works better in some situations than others, and sometimes the differences are subtle.
Image taken with Moment app with lens on top, image taken with Moment lens in standard Camera app on bottom
I found the Moment app a bit finicky to use in nighttime conditions and it wasn't quite able to replicate what I was able to get out of the default Camera app when it comes to Night Mode. It was great for cutting down on some distortion during the day, but not my preferred app at night.
When capturing a photo with the Moment Fisheye, there's no darkness or vignetting at the corners, and what comes out of the lens is crisp and clear. Moment says that this was achieved through multiple aspherical elements inside the lens, which are designed to maximize every corner of the image sensors within the newest camera phones.
Moment Lens on left with Night Mode, ultra wide lens on right
I've used a lot of Fisheye lenses designed for the iPhone over the years, and Moment's version paired with the iPhone 11 Pro Max (which is what I tested on) is the best quality that I've seen.
Moment Fisheye lens with Night Mode
What's most useful about this lens is that it can be attached to the wide-angle camera on the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, and that camera is a lot better than the super wide-angle camera. It has a larger sensor and a lower aperture so it works in low lighting conditions and even at night, plus it has optical image stabilization.
Moment Lens on left with Night Mode, ultra wide lens on right
You can't use the ultra wide-angle lens in the new iPhones with Night Mode because it's just not high enough quality, but with Moment's Fisheye lens, you can get the same ultra wide-angle look while also taking advantage of Night Mode. The lens allows for ultra wide shots in lighting conditions where such a shot would not be possible with the iPhone's native camera.
Moment Lens on top with Night Mode, ultra wide lens on bottom
Moment says that the wide-angle camera in the iPhone that works with the Fisheye lens lets in about 25 percent more light, which appears to be accurate in my testing. Most people are probably going to want to use this lens primarily with the wide-angle lens that's in the iPhone, but it can also be used with the iPhone's telephoto lens if desired.
Moment Fisheye Lens on top with Night Mode, standard wide-angle lens on bottom with no lens
Note that while using the lens, only the camera that it's attached to is functional as it blocks the other two cameras due to its size. If you want to use the other cameras on the iPhone, you'll need to remove the Moment lens and store it away in a pocket. Luckily it comes with a little carrying bag and a lens cap to keep it safe when it's not in use.
Fisheye lenses aren't generally everyday lenses, but they're useful when you need to shoot up close, in tight spaces (like taking a full photo of a room that you're in), or take shots of things like tall buildings. You can also get some great wide landscape shots, and while I don't do a lot of action photography, the Fisheye is a neat way to get close-up action shots and videos.
Moment Fisheye Lens
When Apple announced a super wide-angle lens for the iPhone 11 models I was excited because it allows for such unique images, but it has ultimately been a bit of a disappointment because the quality just isn't comparable to the wide-angle lens, especially when the lighting is poor. In the Ferris wheel photos above and below, for example, you can see how much crisper the shot with the Moment lens is than the ultra wide-angle shot, even though at first glance, both of these images look passable for nighttime cell phone shots.
Built-in ultra wide-angle camera on iPhone 11 Pro Max
I like the Fisheye lens from Moment because it's offering the same general capabilities, but a little bit better, especially if you don't mind or even appreciate some of the Fisheye distortion. Personally, I prefer the look of a lot of the Fisheye images to the traditional ultra wide angle, just because it adds another dimension of interest to the photos.
Bottom Line
Since this lens is priced at $120, it's not something that I'm going to recommend to everyone as for most people with new iPhones, the ultra wide-angle lens in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro models is more than sufficient.
For those super into iPhone photography or videography, though, I think this is a lens you're going to want to pick up, especially if you've already got a Moment kit. It's better quality than the ultra wide-angle camera, and being able to take these kind of shots in any kind of lighting -- not just great lighting -- adds a lot more utility to the iPhone's camera setup.
Keep in mind that this is a Fisheye lens, and even with Moment's software to cut down on distortion, there's still going to be some distortion at the edges of the image.
If you don't have an iPhone with an ultra wide-angle camera, the Moment lens is even more appealing because it adds a function you won't otherwise have access to.
The Pokémon Company today provided a few new details on its upcoming "Pokémon Home" cloud service app for iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch. The service will launch in February 2020 for $2.99 (1 month), $4.99 (3 months), or $15.99 (12 months).
If you pay for the service, you'll be able to bring over your Pokémon from linked games and deposit them into the app or move them around to another compatible game.
Compatible games include Pokémon Sword and Shield, and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!. You can also connect to the Pokémon Bank on Nintendo 3DS, and connectivity with the Pokémon Go app is coming sometime after launch.
The Pokémon Home app opens up the catalog of available Pokémon in the latest Sword and Shield games, by allowing you to transfer Pokémon from Nintendo 3DS games into Home, and then into Sword or Shield. Once Pokémon are transferred from the Pokémon Bank or from the Let's Go titles and into Sword or Shield, they can not be moved back to their original destinations.
Pokémon Home also brings the ability to trade with other users at any time. Using the Global Trade System, you can specify a Pokémon you want to trade and which you want to receive, and the service will match you with a Trainer if you both meet the correct criteria for the trade.
You can also create a room and trade Pokémon among friends who are allowed to join, with up to 20 people able to join at once. Additionally, one-on-one trades will be supported with nearby users once you have become friends in the app.
Some features will differ slightly between the smartphone version of Pokémon Home and the Nintendo Switch version. For example, you can only trade Pokémon in the smartphone app, while you can only move Pokémon with Pokémon Sword and Shield in the Switch version.
There will be a free version as well, but its features are limited. The "Basic" plan supports 30 Pokémon for storage, while "Premium" plans support 6,000 Pokémon. For more information on the app, be sure to visit The Pokémon Company's website.
Facebook today announced that its "Off-Facebook Activity" feature is now available to users around the world, after soft launching in Ireland, South Korea, and Spain last summer. Off-Facebook Activity lets you see a summary of the data that third-party apps and websites have shared with Facebook, and delete it if you see fit.
As Facebook explained, other businesses send the social network information about your internet activity on their sites, and Facebook uses that to display customized ads. Off-Facebook Activity lets you look at that information and clear it, and you can even choose to disconnect all future Off-Facebook Activity from your account, or just from specific apps and websites.
Today's news is built around looking towards the next decade of "stronger privacy protections" from Facebook, which the company admits it has a lot of work to do in this regard. These updates include a prompt asking every Facebook user to review their privacy settings and "Login Notifications," which warn you when your Facebook account is used to sign into third-party apps.
It's been nearly two years since the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal hit Facebook, igniting a debate about how user data should be handled and monitored by major companies. In the wake of the event, Facebook has made announcement after announcement about privacy changes, security tools, and promises to enhance its overall ability to protect user information.
Regarding the new Off-Facebook Activity tool, the company said that it welcomes "conversations with privacy experts, policymakers and other companies about how to continue building tools like this."
