MacRumors

Apple Pay is about to launch in Germany. Banks such as HVB and Bunq this morning sent out emails to customers announcing their imminent support for Apple's mobile payment system in the country.

Apple Pay is "coming soon" according to Apple's own regional German website, which lists supported banks and cards, including boon, comdirect, Edenred, Fidor Bank, Hanseatic Bank, and Vim Pay. We'll update this article as soon as we can confirm that Apple Pay is operational in Germany for end users.

Apple Pay support in Germany has been rumored for some time, while Apple has been working to establish deals over fees and other factors with German banks.

During a July earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook also confirmed that Apple planned to bring Apple Pay to Germany in late 2018.

(Thanks, Lukas!)

Apple will launch its first 5G iPhone in 2020, according to an unnamed source that spoke to Fast Company.

Apple is said to be planning to use Intel's 8161 modem chip in the 2020 iPhone lineup, with Intel set to be the sole provider of 5G chips for Apple devices. The upcoming 8161 chip will be fabricated using Intel's 10-nanometer process.

Right now, Intel is said to be testing a precursor to the 8161, the 8060, which will be used for prototyping the 5G iPhone.

Fast Company's source says that Apple has "been unhappy" with Intel as of late because of Intel's failure to solve heat dissipation and battery life issues with the 8060 modem chip that's in the works.

Many wireless carriers, including Verizon and AT&T in the U.S., will initially rely on millimeter-wave spectrum (between 30 gigahertz and 300 Ghz) to connect the first 5G phones. But millimeter-wave signal requires some heavy lifting from the modem chips, our source explains. This causes the release of higher-than-normal levels of thermal energy inside the phone-so much so that the heat can be felt on the outside of the phone.

Despite its displeasure with Intel, Apple has not considered reopening conversations with Qualcomm about supplying 5G modems for the 2020 iPhone models. The company has, however, held conversations with modem chip maker MediaTek as a Plan B if Intel can't work out its modem problems over the course of the next year and a half.

With its legal dispute with Qualcomm escalating, Apple has been relying on Intel chips for its devices. The iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR all use Intel modem chips, with Apple having transitioned away from Qualcomm entirely for its flagship iPhone lineup.

Rumors late last year suggested Intel and Apple were already working on 5G chip technology for future iPhone devices. Intel is said to have thousands of people working on 5G tech to catch up with Qualcomm and win Apple's 5G modem contract.

The first 5G smartphones are expected to start debuting early in 2019, with the first to be Android devices using Qualcomm 5G chips. 5G technology is expected to deliver speeds that are 10 to 100 times faster than the average 4G connection, at a gigabit per second or higher, along with lower latency and other benefits.

At today's Blizzcon event, Blizzard announced the upcoming launch of Diablo Immortal, a full-fledged action RPG that's set in the Diablo universe.

Developed alongside NetEase, Diablo Immortal takes place between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III. The Worldstone has been shattered and Skarn, Herald of Terror is collecting the shards to resurrect Diablo.

According to designer Wayne Cheng, who spoke about the game in an App Store feature, players will see Westmarch during its golden age and roam through new locations like the Shassar Sea in eastern Kehjistan. Nine outdoor zones will be available at launch, according to Blizzard.

Six classes will be available to play at launch: Barbarian, Wizard, Demon Hunter, Monk, Crusader, and Necromancer, all with a combination of fresh and familiar skills and abilities.

Immortal will expand Diablo's gameplay into a massive, shared online world. Players can play solo or alongside others, with a public hub available for teaming up for raids, upgrading gear, and crafting items.

"We'll have dungeon instances - similar to World of Warcraft - that allow you to form groups of four to take on much more difficult challenges," Cheng said.

There's no word on PvP gameplay yet, but Blizzard is interested in including such systems to foster a sense of competition and danger from other players.

According to Blizzard, Diablo Immortal is being built from the ground up as a mobile experience, and it will "feel familiar and intuitive" to mobile gamers and those who have previously played Diablo on console.

Blizzard plans to continually add new content to Immortal, evolving the game over time. The company says players can expect a "steady influx" of new story lines, character classes, challenges, and loot.

There is no word on when Diablo Immortal is going to launch, with Blizzard planning to provide more details "in the coming months." Players can pre-register for the game using the Diablo Immortal website.

Blizzard today also announced that it is working on a remastered version of Warcraft III that will come to Mac and Windows.

Blizzard also debuted a new Hearthstone expansion pack and new Overwatch heroes.

Apple today shared a new how to video that's designed to walk new iPhone users through using the Depth Control feature on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.

Depth Control, a feature new to the 2018 iPhones, lets you adjust the amount of background blur in a photo taken with Portrait Mode using either the front or rear camera.

Depth Control can be accessed by choosing a Portrait Mode photo from the Photos app, selecting the "Edit" button, and using the slider at the bottom of the screen to adjust the blur from f/1.4 (maximum blur) to f/16 (no blur).

Depth Control is available when editing an already-captured photo and as of iOS 12.1, there's a real-time Depth Control feature for adjusting blur before you take a photo.

Apple has in the past shared multiple short how to videos like this to highlight photography capabilities on the iPhone along with iPhone X features.

We're likely going to see several more videos focused on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR in the coming weeks as Apple helps users adjust to the new features available on the devices.

Apple today added the 2017 iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus to its online store for refurbished products in the United States, offering the smartphone at a discount for the first time.

The refurbished store has a selection of 64GB iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray for sale, all of which are discounted by 14 to 16 percent.

The 64GB iPhone 8 models are priced at $499, a discount of $100 off of the regular price of $599, while the 64GB iPhone 8 Plus models in the refurbished store are available for $599, also a $100 discount off of the regular $699 price.

Apple sells the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus as lower-cost alternatives to the flagship iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. The devices feature a fast A11 Bionic chip, a Touch ID Home button, and a glass body for wireless charging.

There are no iPhone 8 or 8 Plus models with higher storage capacities available from the refurbished store at this time, but refurbished stock fluctuates frequently based on the available devices that Apple has on hand.

Refurbished stock is also limited in quantity and can sell out. Checking the refurbished site often or using a tracking site is the best way to figure out when a particular model that you might want is in stock.

Apple has been offering iPhones in its online refurbished store since 2016, but it often takes some time for new models to show up there. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, for example, were released in September 2017 but have just shown up on the refurbished site.

Purchasing a refurbished iPhone from Apple is a good way to get a like-new device at a lower price point. All of Apple's refurbished products are tested, certified, cleaned, and guaranteed with a one-year warranty that can be extended with AppleCare+.

For refurbished iPhone models, Apple provides a fresh battery and a new outer shell, ensuring peak performance and no scratches or other cosmetic damage on the device that you receive.

The first Geekbench benchmark for one of the 2018 Mac mini models has surfaced (via VentureBeat), giving us an initial look at the performance we can expect from Apple's revamped desktop machine.

The benchmarked model is a higher-end custom configuration that features a 3.2GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, UHD Graphics 630, and 32GB RAM. At a minimum, this configuration would cost $1,699.

Two scores for the machine were uploaded today from the same user taken eight minutes apart. The first features a single-core score of 5070 and a multi-core score of 16818, while the second, which suggests much better performance, features a single-core of 5512 and a multi-core score of 23516.

The higher-end score set puts this particular Mac mini configuration right on par with the high-end 2.9GHz 2018 MacBook Pro, which earned a single-core Geekbench score of 5433 and a multi-core score of 22556. Given the price point of this Mac mini's configuration, its MacBook Pro-matching performance comes as no surprise.

The Mac mini also closely matches the 2013 Mac Pro models when it comes to multi-core performance and exceeds them when it comes to single-core performance. With the exception of the iMac Pro, it outperforms 2017 iMac models, which were not refreshed this year.

It's not clear why there's such a disparity between the two Geekbench readings, but it's possible with the first that background tasks produced a lower result, hence the retest.

We should see additional Mac mini benchmarks surfacing in the near future as the device is set to launch on November 7. Benchmarks of the base models will give us a better idea of what to expect from the lower priced versions of the device.

MacBook Air and iPad Pro benchmarks have also surfaced over the course of the week, with the iPad Pro also demonstrating MacBook Pro-class performance.

Following Tuesday's event, Apple Design Chief Jony Ive did an interview with The Independent, where he shared some thoughts on Apple's new product lineup and what makes a device "appear magical."

Ive explained that the design of the iPad Pro is "so singular and integrated" that it stands out from "99 percent of other complex technology products."

Specifically, Ive pointed out the display of the device, which uses a subpixel anti-aliasing technique to produce rounded corners that flow into the sides of the screen smoothly and without distortion.

Ive said he finds traditional displays with square corners "disappointing" because it turns the display into a distinct component when assembled into a design without square corners.

If you look at the iPad Pro, though, you can see how the radius, the curve in the corner of the display, is concentric with and sympathetic to the actual enclosure. You feel it's authentic, and you have the sense that it's not an assembly of a whole bag of different components: it's a single, clear product.

Ive said that one of Apple's goals with the iPad was to create a sense that the product is not oriented in a specific way. The new iPad Pro, says Ive, doesn't have an orientation because there's no Home button, speakers are all around the device, and Face ID works in landscape and portrait modes.

The simple flat edge of the iPad Pro is also an achievement, something Apple was able to implement when the engineering teams were able to pare down the thickness of the iPad Pro. Ive says Apple couldn't have attempted a straightforward edge detail like that when the products weren't as thin.

These seemingly simple changes are "the most difficult thing to do." Ive said Apple is most proud of the things that should be there but aren't. "It's an odd thing when you're most proud of those things which aren't there.

As for the second-generation Apple Pencil, the way that it snaps onto the side of the iPad Pro is an example of "a magical feeling." The new Apple Pencil connects to magnets built into the iPad Pro's enclosure, and when connected, it both pairs and charges.

Ive says that designing products like the Apple Pencil that introduce features no one knew they wanted until they debuted is a "fundamental part" of his job. He doesn't work with articulated problems and he says it's rare that new Apple designs come in response to a known problem.

Ive said when changing a well-known and loved product like the iPad, there's a need to not "fall into the trap of just making things different." It's important when changing things not to "make it different, but make it better."

"If you are making changes that are in the service of making something better, then you don't need to convince people to fall in love with it again. Our sense of habit and familiarity with something is so developed, there is always that initial reaction that is more of a comment on something being different rather than necessarily better or worse. In my experience, if we try very hard to make material improvements, people quickly recognise those and make the sort of connection they had before with the product."

Ive's full interview, which goes into more depth about the design decisions made for the iPad Pro, can be read over at The Independent.

Apple will replace the existing "2018 Midterm Elections" channel in Apple News on November 6 with a new "Election Night" section, providing readers with real-time results of Election Day 2018 (via TechCrunch). The change will happen at 8:00 p.m. ET on November 6 and showcase live results, updates on key races, the latest developments, and more.

To ensure that readers can quickly keep tabs on results, Apple will also replace the central "Digest" tab in Apple News with the Election Night section. Apple is partnering with the Associated Press for the update, using its real-time election results to create dynamic infographics and a complete list of federal election results in every state, as well as House and Senate seats.

The AP's data will allow Apple News to send out special alerts at the top of the Election Night feed -- or as a push notification if users choose -- to note if the balance of power in either the House or Senate has changed. All of these infographics and results data will automatically update every minute, and there will still be a manual page refresh option to force an immediate update.

Readers can expect the usual news coverage and live video feeds from existing Apple News partners as well:

Another section will focus on the latest developments – meaning breaking news headlines and stories related to election night coverage. This will feature news from a variety of sources including Axios, Politico, The Washington Post, Fox News, CNN, The New York Times, CBS, and others.

CBS News, CNN, and Fox News will also contribute video clips to the Election Night hub, while ABC will offer a live video feed. Another live video feed from NBC News will appear in a widget alongside the Live Results infographic.

Apple says that having a wide range of various news sources was necessary to ensure that all voters were informed about the election, no matter their political leaning. The company also notes that all of the Election Night coverage is not being driven by algorithms, and the November 6 update will see an "all-hands-on-deck" situation for the Apple News team.

This preference for human curation was recently highlighted in a report by The New York Times, which talked with Apple News editor in chief Lauren Kern about how her team approaches daily news curation for Apple. The company's decision to lean more heavily on human-led news selection instead of algorithms is the opposite strategy of rivals like Google News and Facebook, and Kern argues that Apple's way is "really the only legitimate way to do it at this point."

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Spotify is officially coming to Apple Watch, as the streaming music service today delighted users with an early beta version of the watchOS app through TestFlight. There is no timeframe for a public release yet.

A few Reddit users participating in Spotify's public beta testing program have shared screenshots of the app's icon, playback controls, and recently played list with a toggle for shuffle mode.

According to one Reddit user, offline downloads are currently not supported, but the feature could be added later of course. The user also says the app has yet to be optimized for 40mm and 44mm sized Apple Watch Series 4 models, but that's also something that could be taken care of during the beta testing period.

An official Spotify for Apple Watch has been long awaited, especially after third-party app Spotty was discontinued.

Update: In a statement provided to MacRumors, a Spotify spokesperson said "we're always testing new products and experiences, but have no further news to share at this time."

Apple continued to lead the tablet market in the third quarter of 2018, with the iPad achieving "nearly double the shipments of its nearest competitor," according to data shared by research firm IDC today.

Apple on Thursday reported sales of 9.7 million iPads last quarter, giving it an estimated 26.6 percent share of the worldwide tablet market during the July-September period, according to IDC. Samsung finished runner-up with an estimated 5.3 million tablet shipments and 14.6 percent market share.

The worldwide tablet market declined 8.6 percent during the quarter, as global shipments fell to 36.4 million, according to IDC. Apple was not immune to the market contraction, as iPad revenue declined 15 percent last quarter on a year-over-year basis, according to the company's earnings report on Thursday.

Nevertheless, IDC believes the new iPad Pro with Face ID bodes well for Apple's sales through the holiday shopping season:

The refreshed $329 iPad with Pencil support that launched in late March continued to drive volume although it was unable to maintain the same momentum from the third quarter of 2017 as that was the first time in a while that Apple had released a lower cost iPad. iPad Pro saw year-on-year declines in anticipation of a refresh at the beginning of the fourth quarter, which bodes well for Apple through the end of the year.

iPad has remained the world's most popular tablet for several years, even as the market has declined. IDC senior research analyst Jitesh Ubrani believes Apple's continued focus on innovation and marketing has helped the company set itself apart from smaller rivals such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Huawei.

Notably, Microsoft did not crack the list of the top five tablet vendors based on shipments last quarter, according to IDC's data. An all-new Surface Pro launched in October, but that was after the quarter ended.

IDC also shared smartphone data for the third quarter today. Apple reported sales of 46.9 million iPhones last quarter for an estimated 13.2 percent market share, finishing behind Samsung and Huawei, which had estimated market shares of 20.3 percent and 14.6 percent respectively last quarter.

Apple is typically the world's second largest smartphone maker, behind Samsung, but Huawei bumped it down to third for the second consecutive quarter. Nevertheless, IDC believes Apple could jump to first place next quarter thanks to anticipated holiday sales of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR.

Like the tablet market, the worldwide smartphone market also declined to the tune of six percent last quarter, according to IDC.