The iPhone 5 is now classified by the company as vintage in the United States and Turkey, and obsolete in the rest of the world. The addition was spotted by Japanese blog Mac Otakara.
Apple defines vintage products as those that have not been manufactured for more than five but less than seven years. Macs and other products on the vintage and obsolete list are generally no longer eligible for hardware service.
The iPhone 5 introduced some major design changes to Apple's smartphone lineup when it was announced in September 2012.
New features included a lighter aluminum-based body, a taller screen with a nearly 16:9 aspect ratio, LTE support, and Apple's A6 system-on-chip.
The iPhone 5 was also the first Apple smartphone to include a Lightning port, replacing the 30-pin design used by previous iPhone models.
Apple has held talks with iHeartMedia to buy a stake in the U.S. radio company, according to a new Financial Times report citing people familiar with the matter.
iHeartMedia is currently $20 billion in debt, with audiences gradually turning away from radio in favor of digital music services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora. The radio group filed for bankruptcy in March, and has been in contact with several potential investors ahead of a deadline later this month to file a reorganization plan with the bankruptcy court.
iHeartMedia is hoping Apple will take an equity stake worth millions of dollars, according to FT sources, although discussions between the two companies are still in the early stages and no deal has been agreed. Apple declined to comment, while iHeartMedia did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The report suggests Apple is angling for a deal in order to gain a platform for wider distribution of its Beats 1 radio station and increase awareness of Apple Music:
A partnership could see Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio station, which is only available through its apps, make its debut on broadcast radio. Extra distribution would give Beats 1 and Apple Music greater awareness among older audiences who are later adopters of streaming services. A deal would also put the Apple station into more cars or kitchens.
Despite being billions of dollars in debt, iHeartMedia remains the largest radio broadcaster in the United States, with more than 850 stations operating across the country. One music industry executive who spoke to FT described the potential deal as a "power move" by Apple, as it aims to persuade more artists and labels to strike exclusive or early releases for its streaming service instead of its biggest rival, Spotify.
Apple Music surpassed 50 million subscribers and free trial users earlier this year, giving it a bigger share of listeners in the U.S. than Spotify, although Spotify is still the global leader with more than 80 million paying users around the world. Earlier this year, Apple acquired music recognition app Shazam for $400 million in order to improve Apple Music's listening recommendations.
Following the introduction of new iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini models at yesterday's event, Apple provided some YouTubers with MacBook Air review units, and the first unboxing videos are now available.
For its last several product releases, Apple has been providing early review units to smaller YouTubers, a strategy that lets us get opinions on the new device from less mainstream sources. Today's unboxing videos provide some interesting MacBook Air tidbits and a first look at Apple's newest notebook.
The MacBook Air features a Retina display with slim black bezels like the MacBook or MacBook Pro, three color options, a slimmer body, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 1.6GHz Core i5 8th-Generation Amber Lake chip from Intel, integrated Intel UHD 617 graphics, a T2 chip for security, built-in Touch ID, a third-generation butterfly keyboard, and a Force Touch trackpad.
Full reviews of the MacBook Air from media sites will be shared next week, and the new machines are set to start arriving to customers who placed an order on November 7.
If you missed Apple's "There's more in the making" October 30 event that focused on new iPad Pro models and Macs or if you just want to rewatch, the event video in its entirety is now available from Apple's YouTube channel, in addition to the Apple Event website.
At the event, which was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City, Apple unveiled its fall iPad and Mac lineup. The company debuted overhauled iPad Pro models with an edge-to-edge display, no Home button, slim bezels, and a TrueDepth camera system for Face ID.
The new iPads, priced starting at $799 for the 11-inch model and $999 for the 12.9-inch model, feature USB-C instead of Lightning, have no headphone jack, and have a super fast A12X Bionic chip.
Apple also introduced a revamped $1,199 MacBook Air with a Retina display that features slimmer bezels, a smaller body, upgraded Amber Lake chips, a T2 chip, Touch ID, a third-generation Butterfly keyboard, a Force Touch trackpad, and Thunderbolt 3 ports.
The third major product that saw a debut at the October event was an upgraded Mac mini, now available in Space Gray with 8th-generation quad and 6-core Intel chips, up to 64GB RAM, up to 2TB storage space, Thunderbolt 3 support, and a T2 chip for enhanced security. Apple's new Mac mini is priced at $799.
We had extensive coverage of all of Apple's product unveilings yesterday, which is worth checking out in case you missed any of the tidbits that were announced. We've added links to our event-related articles below, so make sure to check those out.
These weren't part of the event, but Apple yesterday released major software updates for iOS devices, the Apple TV, Macs, and the Apple Watch, which you won't want to miss out on.
Apple's new iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini models can be purchased now from the Apple online store, with the products set to be delivered starting on November 7.
AppleCare+ for Mac was previously limited to the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and Japan, but its availability expanded to the aforementioned countries following the conclusion of Apple's special event in Brooklyn on Tuesday.
AppleCare+ provides up to three years of hardware coverage and tech support for an eligible Mac, effective on the purchase date of the plan. This includes up to two incidents of accidental damage, each subject to a service fee that varies based on damage to the screen, external enclosure, or other components.
In the UK, for example, the per-incident fees are £79 for screen or external enclosure damage, and £229 for other damage.
The accidental damage fees are in addition to the cost of the AppleCare+ for Mac plan itself, which varies. The plan is available for the MacBook, MacBook Air, 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, and Mac mini.
AppleCare+ for Mac benefits are in addition to any legal rights provided by consumer law in the aforementioned countries.
AppleCare+ can be purchased alongside a new Mac on Apple's website, at Apple retail stores where available, and at select Apple Authorized Resellers or Apple Authorized Service Providers. It can also be added within 60 days of a Mac's purchase date, pending an inspection or diagnostic test.
In these countries, AppleCare+ for Mac replaces the basic AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac, which didn't include accidental damage coverage. Apple continues to offer the AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac in certain countries, such as Spain, Finland, Norway, Poland, Taiwan, Singapore, and Brazil.
A month and a half after release, Apple's iOS 12 operating system is installed on 63 percent of active devices released over the course of the last four years, according to updated iOS 12 installation statistics shared on the App Store support page for developers.
Following the release of iOS 12, Apple has been sharing details on installation rates in a new way, providing information on both newer and older devices.
While 63 percent of devices released in the last four years are running iOS 12, 60 percent of all iOS devices out in the wild have the update installed.
Among all iOS devices, 29 percent continue to run iOS 11 while 11 percent run an earlier version of iOS. As for devices released within the last four years, 30 percent continue to run iOS 11 while 7 percent have an earlier version of iOS installed.
iOS 12 installation has grown 10 percentage points over the course of the last two and a half weeks, as the update was installed on 53 percent of devices released within the last four years back on October 10.
Between October 10 and October 29, the date Apple last collected installation numbers, the new iPhone XR was released, which likely explains the 10 percent jump in active devices using the new operating system. The iPhone XR, like the XS and XS Max, came pre-installed with iOS 12.
We'll probably see another significant jump in installation numbers the next time Apple provides an update as the new iOS 12.1 update is likely spurring people who haven't yet upgraded to iOS 12 to download the update.
iOS 12.1 introduces 70 new emoji characters, which are always a big draw, and it introduces support for Group FaceTime, allowing iOS users to video chat with up to 32 people at once.
Following in the wake of Apple's Mac and iPad event yesterday, MacBook Pro models that were refreshed over the summer have received a few discounts at Adorama and B&H Photo. The new sales are currently the best found online among the major retailers and offer $100-$300 off original prices.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
13-inch MacBook Pro (2.3 GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) - $1,699.00, down from $1,799.00 at B&H / Adorama
15-inch MacBook Pro (2.2 GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) - $2,199.00, down from $2,399.00 at B&H / Adorama
15-inch MacBook Pro (2.6 GHz, 16 B RAM, 512GB SSD) - $2,499.00, down from $2,799.00 at Adorama
For older model MacBook Pros, there are also numerous sales on Mid 2017 refreshes:
15-inch MacBook Pro (2.8 GHz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) - $1,899.00, down from $2,399.00 at B&H
15-inch MacBook Pro (2.9 GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Silver) - $2,099.00, down from $2,799.00 at B&H / Adorama
15-inch MacBook Pro (2.9 GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Space Gray) - $2,149.00, down from $2,799.00 at B&H / Adorama
A few of these sales will expire later tonight at 11:59 p.m. ET, so be sure to browse both websites and place your order soon if you're interested. If you're on the hunt for USB-C accessories to go along with a new MacBook Pro or 2018 MacBook Air, RAVPower has kicked off notable sales today that will last through most of November.
Mophie's newest wireless charger, the Charge Stream Desk Stand, is now available for purchase from the Mophie website for $70.
Designed to work with the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, XS Max, and XR, Mophie's Charge Stream Desk Stand is its first upright wireless charging option, designed to hold the iPhone in an upright vertical or horizontal position while it charges rather than a flat horizontal position.
Mophie's Charge Stream looks a lot like Mophie's Charge Stream Pad+ or Wireless Charging Base propped up with a metal stand, and that's because it can be removed from the base and used as a standard wireless charging pad.
The Charge Stream delivers up to 10W of wireless charging power, and it will charge Apple's iPhones at the faster 7.5W charging speed. A Quick Charge 2.0 wall adapter and a 1.5m USB-A to micro-USB cable are included to power the Charge Stream.
Apple has been updating the HomePod software alongside major iOS updates, so it was something of a surprise when iOS 12.1 was released yesterday with no accompanying HomePod 12.1 software to go along with it.
As it turns out, though, there is a HomePod 12.1 update, it just appears to be bugged for those who updated their HomePod to the version 12 software after updating to iOS 12.
On Reddit, a user who purchased a brand new HomePod running HomePod software version 11 was able to update to the 12.1 software, which apparently includes stability updates and bug fixes.
On Twitter, developer Khaos Tian said that Apple is offering up the HomePod update with an internal URL that prevents people from downloading it.
lol Apple is serving HomePod update with internal URL so no one can update it to 12.1 🤦♂️ Someone needs to kick Pallas V2 and have it return the right value. pic.twitter.com/WxsYzJVsHu
— Khaos Tian (@KhaosT) October 31, 2018
Apple may be able to fix this HomePod software issue relatively easily, so we could see the HomePod 12.1 software become available for download shortly.
Update: Just after this article was posted, Apple made the HomePod 12.1 software available. It can be downloaded from the Home app on the iPhone and the iPad by tapping on the house-shaped icon in the upper left, tapping on "Home Settings," selecting your home, and choosing the "Software Update" option.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 12.1.1 update to developers for testing purposes, one day after releasing tvOS 12.1, the second update to the tvOS 12 operating system designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models.
The new tvOS 12.1.1 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.
We're not yet sure what fixes and changes the tvOS 12.1.1 update might bring, but it's likely to focus on bugs that were not able to be addressed in the tvOS 12.1 update.
Apple provides little information on its tvOS software and tvOS updates have historically been minor in scale, so we may not know what's included in this update. Should anything new be found, we'll update this post.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.2 update to developers, just one day after releasing macOS Mojave 10.14.1.
The new macOS High Sierra 10.14.2 beta can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after the proper profile has been installed from Apple's Developer Center.
We don't yet know what improvements the second update to macOS Mojave will bring, but it is likely to include bug fixes and performance improvements for issues that weren't able to be addressed in the macOS 10.14.1 update.
Should we discover anything new in the 10.14.2 beta, we'll update this post.
The new 10.14.2 software comes just a day after Apple released macOS 10.14.1, an update that brought support for Group FaceTime on the Mac and introduced new emoji characters.
Update: Apple has removed the macOS Mojave 10.14.2 developer beta from the Developer Center for unknown reasons.
Update 2: The macOS Mojave 10.14.2 developer beta is available for download again.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 12.1.1 update to developers, one day after the release of iOS 12.1, a major update that brought multiple new features to the operating system that runs on the iPhone and iPad.
Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.1.1 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.
As a 12.1.x update, the new software is minor in scale and has been released to address bugs that were not able to be fixed in the iOS 12.1 update. According to Apple's release notes, iOS 12.1.1 "contains bug fixes and improvements."
Given the non-specific information provided by Apple, we may not know exactly what issues are fixed in the beta until more specific release notes are provided, but we'll update this post if we find anything new in the update.
iOS 12.1.1 follows iOS 12.1, which was the first major update to iOS 12. iOS 12.1 introduces Group FaceTime for video chatting with up to 32 people, real-time Depth Control and eSIM support for Apple's newest iPhones, and fixes for several major bugs.
The update fixes a problem that could cause excessive skin-smoothing when using the front-facing camera on the iPhone XS, XS Max, and iPhone XR, and it addresses LTE connectivity issues on those same devices. It's also worth noting that the iOS 12.1 software introduces battery-related performance management features on the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X to prevent unexpected shutdowns.
What's new in iOS 12.1.1: The iOS 12.1.1 update reintroduces the feature that lets you take a Live Photo while on a FaceTime call, and it makes improvements to the FaceTime user interface.
Following the update, FaceTime features a reworked bottom bar that includes quick access buttons for muting a call and flipping the camera. Sliding up on the bottom bar brings up additional options with conversation participants.
Previously, FaceTime users were required to tap on three dots to access a secondary menu with these features.
A new article by Business Insider today takes a look into failed talks that occurred between Apple and startup Leap Motion, which the Cupertino company tried to acquire twice in less than five years. Leap Motion is a company that focuses on making advances in the fields of virtual reality, augmented reality, and hand tracking technology.
According to multiple unnamed insiders, the most recent deal was nearing completion in spring 2018 before poor management, "swirling negatives," and "eccentric behavior" of Leap Motion's young co-founders Michael Buckwald and David Holz halted the talks.
Prior to that, in 2013 the first meeting was held between the two companies and things reportedly went very poorly after Holz -- then 24 years old -- said he had no interest in joining Apple. Sources say Holz was insulting to Apple's staff, told the company representatives that Apple was no longer innovative, its technology "sucked," and discussed the ways that Google's Android was better than iOS. During this time, Apple was said to have been mainly interested in Leap Motion's team to help work on its own AR and gesture-based projects.
Despite this poor first meeting, Apple continued to express interest in acquiring Leap Motion in the ensuing years, particularly as augmented reality and virtual reality technologies began to be more mainstream. Some of Leap Motion's original employees even left the company to work for Apple over the years, and are now helping with Apple's various AR projects, some former Leap Motion employees said.
The latest rumors point towards Apple developing AR smart glasses, which could potentially include a VR component. Apple's interest appears to lean more towards AR, since it has already backed AR as a service with the ARKit developer platform, and CEO Tim Cook often talks excitedly about the potential of AR.
Because of this, Apple made another attempt to acquire Leap Motion earlier this year, but talks fell through once again. Apple was on the verge of acquiring Leap Motion for between $30 million and $50 million in the spring, and had already started talks with the startup's human resources department and sent out offer letters to employees. As Leap Motion celebrated the upcoming acquisition, Apple pulled its offer.
Business Insider says it remains unclear why exactly Apple made this move at the last minute, but one thing appears certain: "the founders ultimately thought [Leap Motion] was more valuable than the offers on the table."
Many people close to the company say that the issues afflicting Leap Motion are a case of poor management: Much of the company's venture capital was spent on sleek office space in San Francisco's pricey SoMa neighborhood, complete with tech industry perks including beanbag chairs and daily lunches, and costly engineering salaries.
That Leap Motion should fall upon dire financial straits when the company's core technology had such great potential was described by many as a failure that could have been easily avoided.
Increasingly, it looks like Leap Motion's technology might end up bought as a hidden gem for a company looking to add its hand-tracking technology to future smartglasses products — but only if it can get the founders on board with the deal.
Now, Leap Motion is said to have new meetings lined up to explore other potential deals outside of Apple's offer, but it may be too late for the startup. According to sources familiar with the company, Apple's latest bid for Leap Motion was the AR/VR company's "last-ditch opportunity" to sell the business, which has faced financial instability for years.
Apple makes acquisitions of smaller companies like Leap Motion all the time, with news coming just in the past month of Apple acquiring Asaii and Spektral. Asaii is a music analytics platform that Apple will likely integrate into Apple Music and iTunes, while Spektral creates real-time green screens that can intelligently separate people and objects from their original backgrounds to overlay a new setting, which could be integrated into a future iPhone.
"The launch of Siri was a defining moment in the history of Artificial Intelligence," the job description states. "Hundreds of millions of people now use Siri to send a message, play their favourite song or even take a selfie."
Earlier this year, The Information published an in-depth look at how Siri has transitioned from one of Apple's most promising technologies into a "major problem" for the company. The report cited a dozen former Apple employees who reflected on Siri's "squandered lead" over rivals Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Apple responded to the report with a statement claiming that Siri is "the world's most popular voice assistant," and touted "significant advances" to the digital assistant's performance, scalability, and reliability.
We have made significant advances in Siri performance, scalability and reliability and have applied the latest machine learning techniques to create a more natural voice and more proactive features. We continue to invest deeply in machine learning and artificial intelligence to continually improve the quality of answers Siri provides and the breadth of questions Siri can respond to.
A new report out this week by Bloomberg highlights Apple's ongoing efforts to boost adoption of Apple Pay, which is said to be gaining more traction this year thanks to the launch of Apple Pay Cash, as well as a growing number of of retailers supporting the mobile wallet. Although it still struggles to surpass rival mobile wallets, analyst Gene Munster argues that Apple's real advantage lies in the fact that it's the only digital wallet with payment options for mobile apps, desktop, peer-to-peer, and in stores.
According to Munster, Apple Pay Cash's launch in December 2017 "was a big missing piece" to the Apple Pay ecosystem, and has led the company to "make up a lot of ground" with its competition in 2018.
In total, 60 percent of United States merchants will have Apple Pay-ready equipment in their shops by the end of this year, which is an increase from three percent four years ago, when Apple Pay launched. Apple Pay already has made impressive growth in the United Kingdom, because merchants there "already accepted contactless payments and consumers were already using contactless cards," explained Crone Consulting CEO Richard Crone.
Multiple analysts believe that Apple's biggest opportunity in the mobile payments field is to increase acceptance of Apple Pay from e-commerce sites and to beef up the features of Apple Pay Cash. According to data from Crone Consulting, the number of online mobile app transactions using Apple Pay is "growing much faster" than transactions made inside retail stores. In this area, Apple Pay is used by hundreds of thousands of websites and is accepted by 85 of the top 100 global e-commerce apps. Senior managing director for Falcon Point Capital, Michael Mahoney, agreed:
“When it started, you’d tap and physically cause a purchase to be made,” Michael Mahoney said. “The whole world of mobile commerce has so much shifted to everything being done on the phone and shipped to you. My kids don’t even think of going to the store. Apple Pay has morphed along with that change in behavior.”
As of estimates from August, 31 percent of worldwide iPhone users have used Apple Pay in some way in the last year, up from 25 percent one year ago, according to Loup Ventures data. In regards to the total number of active users making at least two transactions per month, Crone Consulting estimates that Apple has 32 million users in the U.S., compared to its total user base of around 252 million global. In terms of U.S. usage, PayPal has the most at 250 million users and Walmart Pay is just below Apple Pay at 31 million users.
Apple Pay Cash was the highest-rated peer-to-peer payments platform on the market, according to a review by Consumer Reports. The service beat out Zelle, Square Cash, Venmo, and Facebook Messenger P2P payments, mainly due to Apple's stronger privacy and security measures. Munster pointed out that the growth of Apple's P2P platform is convincing new people to add their banks into Apple Pay (which is required for P2P iMessage payments), many of which eventually add their credit and debit cards into Wallet as well to enable the main NFC features of Apple Pay.
Apple is also continuously expanding the mobile wallet into new countries, and this week Apple Pay will launch in Belgium. Belgium-based newspaper De Tijd reports that several sources believe Apple Pay will launch in early November -- as soon as tomorrow, November 1 -- with major bank BNP Paribas Fortis supporting the launch. Next, Apple Pay is said to be "coming soon" to Saudi Arabia.
Accessory company Nomad today launched the Base Station Apple Watch Edition, which includes a Qi charging mat for iPhone and integrated charging puck for Apple Watch. The new accessory is an upgrade from the original Base Station, which was focused on Qi charging for iPhone and lacked Apple Watch charging support.
The Base Station Apple Watch Edition includes three 7.5W charging coils underneath a padded leather surface, which the company says will let users choose from multiple charging orientations. On the top left corner of the unit is a stand for Apple Watch, which charges the smartwatch in Nightstand Mode and supports both closed loop and open loop bands.
Nomad says the Base Station Apple Watch Edition can charge up to three devices at once, presumably referring to two Qi-compatible iPhones and one Apple Watch, but it's unclear how a second iPhone fits on the mat when Apple Watch is charging. Nomad seems to acknowledge this in its FAQ on the stand, stating that while it supports up to three devices, "it is designed to comfortably charge 1 Apple Watch and 1 phone simultaneously."
Easily charge your Apple Watch and iPhone wirelessly. We've added three coils to provide mulitiple charging orientations; center your phone over a coil and wirelessly charge your phone how you like. Great for your desk, bedside, and around the house.
We recently got our hands on the original Nomad Base Station and shared our thoughts in a review on the MacRumors YouTube channel. While the leather surface lacked reliable grip for case-less iPhones and finding the hot spot for charging proved finicky, we largely came away impressed by Nomad's accessory thanks to its design and additional port options on the back.
In terms of those ports, it's worth noting the updated Base Station Apple Watch Edition appears to have ditched the extra USB-A and USB-C ports on the back of the device. For those interested, the new accessory is available to purchase on Nomad's website today for $119.95.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Nomad. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple on Tuesday released iOS 12.1 following six weeks of beta testing. As mentioned in the release notes, the software update extends Apple's performance management feature to the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.
From the release notes:
Adds a performance management feature to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down, including the option to disable this feature if an unexpected shutdown occurs, for iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
Apple has reflected this change on its iPhone Battery and Performance website, noting that performance management "may be less noticeable" on those iPhone models due to their "more advanced hardware and software design."
The performance management system was first enabled in iOS 10.2.1, but it was limited to the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus until yesterday's release of iOS 12.1.
Last December, Apple did mention that the design of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X allows for a "different" performance management system that "more precisely" prevents unexpected shutdowns, but prior to iOS 12.1, no performance management feature of this kind had been enabled on the trio of iPhones:
iPhone 8 and later use a more advanced hardware and software design that provides a more accurate estimation of both power needs and the battery's power capability to maximize overall system performance. This allows a different performance management system that more precisely allows iOS to anticipate and avoid an unexpected shutdown. As a result, the impacts of performance management may be less noticeable on iPhone 8 and later. Over time, the rechargeable batteries in all iPhone models will diminish in their capacity and peak performance and will eventually need to be replaced.
Why is Apple slowing down some iPhone models if necessary?
iPhones, like many other consumer electronics, are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which have a limited lifespan. As the battery in your iPhone ages, its ability to hold a charge slowly diminishes.
A chemically aging battery can also have increased impedance, reducing its ability to provide a sudden burst of power when demanded by other components in an iPhone, such as the CPU and GPU. A battery's impedance will also temporarily increase when it has a low charge and/or in cold temperatures.
A battery with a high enough impedance may be unable to provide power quickly enough to the iPhone when needed, and Apple safeguards components against the drop in voltage by shutting down the device.
Apple recognized that iPhones unexpectedly shutting down on users is not a good experience, and starting with iOS 10.2.1, it quietly implemented a power management feature to prevent these shutdowns. The update was released in January 2017, and a month later, Apple said it saw a major reduction in shutdowns.
The performance management feature can be disabled if desired in the Settings app, under the Battery Health menu. At this time, the feature does not appear to extend to the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, or iPhone XR.
Nintendo this week held its financial results briefing aimed at the second quarter for the fiscal year ending in March 2019 (via Reuters), during which it discussed its smart device business and major updates coming to two of its iOS apps: Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.
Starting with Fire Emblem Heroes, Nintendo's director and president Shuntaro Furukawa said that the company is planning a major version 3.0 update to the iOS game that will arrive around the end of 2018. The president didn't divulge any more information on the update, but ensured that Nintendo will keep pouring effort into development and operation of Fire Emblem Heroes following its huge success on the iOS App Store.
According to Furukawa, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will also be updated in the near future, but this one will be focused on "broadening the scope of the gameplay." The iOS game is a pared-down version of the full games found on consoles like Nintendo 3DS, DS, Wii, and GameCube, and focuses on a small campsite that players can redecorate and customize to their liking, with a few other mini locations that can be visited through an in-game map.
Although details are still scarce, it sounds like Nintendo is planning to slightly expand the explorable area of the game with the update, and potentially add in new gameplay features. The company has consistently held new seasonal events and introduced new features -- like gardening -- over the past year, but its scope has largely stayed the same as when it first launched.
It's doubtful that this means Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will see a full village for players to navigate on iPhone, since Nintendo's mobile business so far has used the strategy of introducing a smaller version of its franchises to entice people to check out the full games on console.
Because of this, it's possible that Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp's big update could align with the next mainline entry in the franchise on Switch, which is set for release in 2019. Furukawa did not detail when exactly we'll see the iOS update, but noted that "details will be announced closer to the time of the update," so it might not be until next year.
Lastly, the president confirmed that Mario Kart Tour is still on track to be released during the current fiscal year ending in March 2019. After Mario Kart Tour launches, Nintendo will have released six games on the iOS App Store: Miitomo, Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem Heroes, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and Dragalia Lost.
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