Apple's stock price has established a new all-time high in the company's history, as shares exchanged hands for slightly above the previous record of $180.10 in intraday trading today following several weeks of gains.
AAPL has been on the rise since bottoming out at $150.24 on February 9, one day after the Dow Jones plunged over 1,000 points. The broader selloff in the stock market proved to be short lived, as many technology stocks have since rebounded, and the Dow Jones is up nearly eight percent compared to a few weeks ago.
The all-time high comes after billionaire investor Warren Buffett said his company Berkshire Hathaway has purchased more shares of Apple than any other stock over the past year. Berkshire Hathaway increased its Apple holdings by 23.3 percent, to 165.3 million shares, according to recent filings with the SEC.
Apple shares have technically traded for higher prices, but today's all-time high accounts for multiple stock splits that have occurred over the years. Apple now has a market capitalization of well over $900 billion.
Apple today internally announced it is launching a new pilot program that will permit Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers to continue offering repair service for 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac models released in mid 2011, despite the fact they will be classified as vintage starting next month.
The pilot program will be available in the United States only between March 1, 2018 and August 31, 2018, subject to parts availability from Apple, according to the company's internal memo obtained by MacRumors. After the pilot ends, repairs will only be available in California and Turkey, as required by law.
Apple and Authorized Service Providers can usually repair an iMac's display and hinge, logic board, graphics card, hard drive or SSD, power supply, and other components, although the exact availability of replacement parts remains to be seen. It's unclear if RAM and storage upgrades will continue to be offered.
Apple typically offers repairs and replacement parts for a Mac until five years after it is no longer manufactured. Mid 2011 iMac models are now approaching this cutoff, as the last education-only configuration was discontinued in March 2013, but these machines will now remain eligible for service for an additional six months.
Apple didn't specify if the pilot program will eventually expand to other vintage products, or whether it will be available outside of the United States.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office today granted Apple a patent related to a "Case for wearable electronic device," and it's described as an accessory that would let users charge their Apple Watch while on the go while also storing a few extra bands (via Patently Apple). Similar to portable battery packs, or Apple's own AirPods case, users would charge the Apple Watch case itself, and then when traveling they could place their Apple Watch within the case to recharge it.
In the patent's images, the case appears rectangular in shape, with the left side housing two rows for two pairs of Apple Watch bands, while the right side has a cutout for the Apple Watch case. In this particular patent, users would have to remove the bands to charge the Apple Watch and then store them next to it. According to the patent, there would be an "attachment system" -- magnets are suggested -- so that bands of "different geometry" would all still be secure within the case.
The patent specifies that the case would be able to store bands "having multiple segments," like Sport Bands, and bands "having a single segment," like Milanese Loop.
Case 200 can be used, for example, as a travel case to store a wearable electronic device and one or more bands that can be used to secure the wearable electronic device to a user's wrist. As shown in FIG. 2, case 200 is designed to hold a single wrist-worn electronic device 230 along with first and second bands 232 and 234 either one of which can be used to attach wrist-worn electronic device to a user's wrist.
Each of bands 232 and 234 includes first and second band segments (e.g., segments 234a, 234b of band 234) that can be connected together by a clasp or other type of connector (e.g., clasp 116 shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B), and each band segment includes a lug (not labeled) at one end. Embodiments of the disclosure can store bands having multiple segments, such as bands 232, 234, as well as bands having a single segment.
Apple's patent even suggests the case could charge a "smart band," which would include some form of circuitry and have abilities that supplement the Apple Watch with additional sensors or extra battery. Smart bands have been unearthed previously in Apple patents dating back to 2016, as well as in rumors claiming knowledge of the company's plans from spring 2017, but we have still yet to see such a product debut from Apple.
Some accessory makers have had trouble launching smart bands for Apple Watch, and in 2016 when Apple's watchOS 2.0.1 update blocked off third-party band manufacturers from taking advantage of the accessory port to fuel the abilities of such bands, the "Reserve Strap" was left defunct.
In regards to today's patent, it would otherwise appear to function similar to the Apple Watch's existing induction charging puck, allowing users to simply place the wearable device inside the case's cradle, close it to protect the screen, and charge it up before wearing it again. The patent doesn't specifically divulge how many additional charges could be added onto the Apple Watch, but it does state that Apple has gone through a few embodiments of the case adding or removing additional band storage to make it slightly larger or smaller, apparently settling on storage for two bands in this iteration.
There are many portable third-party Apple Watch charging solutions on the market today, but some have downsides for users wanting to charge Apple Watch while traveling. Twelve South's TimePorter case, for example, lets users store a few bands and the Apple Watch charging puck, but it charges the Apple Watch on the outside of the case, so it isn't great for charging in a bag or suitcase.
As with any patent, Apple's Apple Watch charging case may never become available for users to purchase, but it is interesting to see what the company is considering to launch alongside future generations of the Apple Watch.
Samsung has announced at the Mobile World Congress that version 2.0 of its Bixby voice assistant will launch with the Galaxy Note 9 and come with support for recognizing individual voices (via ZDNet).
Samsung mobile chief D J Koh said that Bixby 2.0 is being tested by approximately 800 partners and is helping the company to develop a "wider scope of voice assistant features", one of which is the ability to recognize individual voices on devices supporting multiple users.
Development of the feature makes sense given Samsung's plans to launch a television set with built-in Bixby next month, as well as a Bixby-enabled smart speaker set for release in the second half of 2018.
Amazon's Echo devices and Google's Home smart speakers already include voice matching settings which let multiple users access personalized services, however Apple's HomePod lacks such a feature.
For Siri commands that interact with user-specific information, only the Apple ID account holder who sets up the HomePod speaker is able to use the additional functionality, and Apple hasn't revealed any plans to bring multi-user voice recognition to its Siri virtual assistant anytime soon.
When Apple released the fourth-generation Apple TV in 2015, it also included a new Siri Remote with the set-top box (although in some regions Apple kept the original name "Apple TV Remote" due to Siri not working in those territories).
The redesigned remote features dual microphones for Siri support as well as a glass touch surface for navigating the tvOS interface by swiping, tapping, and scrubbing to fast forward/rewind content. The remote also has a Menu button, a Home button (with a TV icon on it), a Siri button, a Play/Pause button, and a Volume Up/Down button.
With the release of the Apple TV 4K in 2017, Apple tweaked the remote design to add a raised white ring around the Menu button, making it easier to identify the correct orientation of the remote by both touch and feel. The buttons and operation of the remote, however, remained unchanged, and the revised remote is also included with new units of the fourth-generation Apple TV.
In this guide, we've collected 10 of our favorite tips for controlling features of tvOS using the Apple TV Remote included with the fourth generation Apple TV and the latest fifth-generation Apple TV 4K. Keep reading and you might well discover a new trick or two.
1. Quickly Switch Between Open Apps
If you have an iOS device then you'll be familiar with this feature. To quickly switch between open Apple TV apps, click the Home button twice. This will bring up the App Switcher screen, which you can navigate by swiping sideways on the Apple TV Remote's touch surface. Tap the surface to open the selected app, or swipe up to force quit it.
2. Quickly Restart Your Apple TV
If you're troubleshooting your Apple TV and need to restart it several times, going through the settings screens to select Restart is quickly going to grate. Fortunately, you can perform the same action simply by holding down the Home and Menu buttons simultaneously for six seconds.
3. Sleep Your Apple TV
Similarly, if you're regularly digging into setting screens to select the sleep option when you're done using Apple TV, then this tip's for you. Simply hold the Home button for two seconds and the Sleep option will appear at the center of the screen where you can promptly select it.
4. Quick Switch to the Home Screen
Apple likes new Apple TV owners to associate the Apple TV Remote's Home button with the company's native TV app, but that shortcut can start to get annoying, especially if the things you tend to watch don't even show up there (Netflix content being just one example.) Thankfully, you can reinstate the Home button's original functionality by going into Settings and selecting Remotes and Devices -> Home Button.
5. Activate the Screen Saver
You can set your Apple TV's screen saver to come on after so many minutes have passed (Settings -> General -> Screen Saver -> Start After) but you can also activate it straight away by double-clicking the Menu button on the Apple TV Remote at any time.
6. Rearrange Your Apple TV Apps
Whenever you download an Apple TV app from the tvOS App Store it automatically appears at the bottom of the Home screen's grid. If you've installed quite a few apps, you might like to rearrange them. Select the app to move and then click and hold down on the Apple TV Remote's touch surface for a couple of seconds. The app icon will start jiggling, at which point you can swipe to place it where you want. Simply click the touch surface again once you have the app in your preferred location.
7. View Video Settings
When watching video on Apple TV, you can access a number of media playback settings with a quick swipe down on the Apple TV Remote's touch surface. The info overlay that slides into view from the top contains options to enable/disable subtitles, as well as audio settings for language, sound processing, and speaker. Simply navigate the menus using the touch surface and click down to select. A swipe up hides the overlay and returns you back to the video with your changes applied.
8. Quick-Switch Between Lowercase/Uppercase Keyboard
When using Apple TV's onscreen keyboard, you can avoid the hassle of navigating the cursor between the lowercase and uppercase layout, simply by pressing the Play/Pause button on your Apple TV Remote. This instantly switches the letters from lowercase to uppercase and vice versa, which makes entering passwords in particular less of a chore.
9. Quick Backspace and Access to Alternate Characters
This is another handy tip for using Apple TV's onscreen keyboard that makes navigating it a lot less frustrating.
Next time you need to correct a mistake, don't bother swiping all the way to the far right of the screen to select the backspace key. Instead, click down on the Apple TV Remote's touch surface and hold until the character overlay appears. A quick swipe left will now automatically delete the last letter you entered in the input field.
10. Change Audio Output Device on the Fly
There's a quick way to switch your Apple TV's audio output device right from the home screen. Hold down the Play/Pause button on the Apple TV Remote, and in the menu that comes up on the screen, simply select the device you want to link to by clicking the Remote's touch surface.
Got an Apple TV Remote tip we haven't covered here? Be sure to share it in the comments.
Apple is planning to open two "AC Wellness" health clinics for its employees and their families this spring, reports CNBC. The clinics, detailed on an accompanying AC Wellness website, will serve Apple employees in Santa Clara County, which is where its Apple Park and One Infinite Loop campuses are located.
One of the clinics, the Apple Park Wellness Center, will be located on the Apple Park campus, according job listings posted LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed.
AC Wellness Network is an independent medical practice exclusively dedicated to delivering compassionate, effective healthcare to the Apple employee and dependent population at the Apple Wellness Centers in Santa Clara Valley, including the new Apple Park Wellness Center. AC Wellness Network believes that having trusting, accessible relationships with our patients, enabled by technology, promotes high-quality care and a unique patient experience.
AC Wellness job listings also describe the clinic experience, which is meant to offer a "unique concierge-like healthcare experience" for employees and their dependents. Several positions are open at the AC Wellness locations ahead of their planned opening this spring, with Apple seeking physicians, nurses, a clinical exercise coach, a behavioral health partner, and more.
As Apple prepares to launch its AC Wellness clinics, it has scaled back its partnership with Crossover Health, its current in-house clinic provider. Apple considered purchasing Crossover Health at one point, but no deal materialized after several months of discussion.
Sources that spoke to CNBC said that Apple plans to use its medical clinics as a way to "test out" its health services and products. Apple is exploring several health-related advancements, such as non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, and it has begun heavily investing in health-related research with CareKit and ResearchKit.
Most recently, Apple launched a medical study in partnership with Stanford to determine whether the Apple Watch can accurately predict irregular heart rhythms. The study is live and can be joined by downloading the Apple Heart Study app from the App Store.
New regulations that allow driverless autonomous cars to be tested on California roads were officially approved by the California Office of Administrative Law on Monday, reports the San Francisco Examiner.
Starting on April 2, companies in the Bay Area that are working on self-driving vehicle technology will be able to deploy cars that do not have a driver behind the wheel. The new autonomous vehicle regulations have been under review since January 11, but were green lit this morning.
The news is of interest as Apple is one of more than 50 companies testing self-driving vehicle technology in the Bay Area. For almost a year now, Apple has been testing autonomous driving software in a series of 2015 Lexus RX450h SUVs, which can often be seen on the streets surrounding its Cupertino headquarters.
While little has been said about Apple's testing efforts in recent months, the company was spotted using new LIDAR equipment in August of 2017, and as of January 2018, Apple has 27 vehicles running autonomous driving software, up from the three it started with last year.
With the new regulations in place, Apple can potentially apply for a new deployment permit with the California DMV that would allow it to test its software sans drivers. It's not known, however, if Apple is ready for that kind of advanced testing.
While California is allowing companies to deploy and test fully autonomous driverless cars, a "communication link" must be maintained between the testing vehicle and remote operators. All remote vehicle operators must monitor the status of driverless vehicles at all times and be ready to step in should the vehicle experience "failures that would endanger the safety of the vehicle's passengers or other road users." Cars must be protected from cyberattacks and must also be able to transmit information in the event of a crash.
Companies must also certify that a vehicle is capable of operating without the presence of a driver and develop a "law enforcement interaction plan" to be provided to the California Highway Patrol.
Should Apple choose to take advantage of the new policies, the company will need to obtain a permit from the California DMV, and granted permits are made available to the public. So should Apple opt for this route, it won't be able to keep its work secret. These kinds of regulations have already spurred Apple CEO Tim Cook to confirm the company's work on autonomous systems.
"We're focusing on autonomous systems. It's a core technology that we view as very important. We sort of see it as the mother of all AI projects. It's probably one of the most difficult AI projects actually to work on," Cook said back in June of 2017.
Some other states have already adopted more relaxed rules that allow companies to deploy autonomous vehicles without drivers. In Arizona, for example, Google-owned company Waymo is already operating autonomous minivans sans safety driver.
First day pre-orders for the HomePod, which became available late last month, were higher than day one pre-orders for several other smart speakers including the Sonos One and the Google Home Max in the United States.
The data was shared by NPD Group and was gathered using NPD's Checkout service, which tracks consumer purchase behavior across multiple retailers.
According to the data, HomePod beat out all other smart speaker first day pre-orders with the exception of the Amazon Echo Dot.
Though HomePod pre-orders reportedly outsold other smart speaker pre-orders, NPD Group did not provide data on how many HomePod pre-orders Apple sold in comparison to smart speakers from other manufacturers, so while interesting, the data here doesn't offer up a look at just how well the HomePod did.
We haven't seen any real estimates of how well the HomePod did following its launch, but Apple's next earnings call should give us a bit of insight. Apple won't break out HomePod sales, but changes to the "Other" category in the company's earnings report may provide hints.
The Other category includes products like the Apple TV, Apple Watch, AirPods, iPod, Beats, and other Apple-branded and third-party accessories. Going forward, it will also include the HomePod.
While we don't know how many HomePods Apple has sold to date, the device did stay in stock and readily available for days after it became available for pre-order on January 26. In fact, HomePod was available for launch day delivery through February 7, just a couple of days before the HomePod's official February 9 launch.
Data on HomePod sales may not be available, but analyst Gene Munster with Loop Ventures recently predicted HomePod will capture 12 percent of global smart speaker unit share in 2018, with estimated unit sales of 7 million.
In addition to our more in-depth coverage of the latest Apple news and rumors at MacRumors, Quick Takes is a new column that will provide a bite-sized recap of other Apple-related headlines on weekdays.
February is generally a slower time of the year for Apple, but Monday's news cycle has been slightly busier given it is the first day of Mobile World Congress in Spain, where many Apple rivals unveil new products.
Context: Cook has been visiting China more frequently in recent years as he attempts to strengthen Apple's relationship with the Chinese government. Apple is often at the mercy of Chinese laws, such as one requiring iCloud accounts in China to be hosted by a Chinese data center by the end of this month.
Context: CBS SPORTS HQ should cater to cord-cutters, and the best part is that no cable TV subscription is required. It should be the sports equivalent of CBS's successful CBSN streaming news network.
Context: Berkshire Hathaway has been increasingly bullish on Apple over the past few years. Buffett believes Apple has an "extraordinary consumer franchise" with a very strong ecosystem. AAPL is up over two percent following the positive comments, and up over 15 percent since February 8.
Skip to the 18:00 mark to listen to Samsung poke fun at the iPhone X
Context: While some other Android smartphone makers like Huawei and Asus appear to be embracing the notched design, the Galaxy S9 looks virtually identical to the Galaxy S8, with slim top and bottom bezels that uniformly stretch across the device. The device even retains a 3.5mm headphone jack.
A new unofficial app called OneCast has launched that claims to bring Xbox One game streaming to the Mac with 1080p video and low input lag. Features include support for multiple profiles, full screen or windowed mode, and playing with an original Xbox One wireless controller on Mac via USB or Bluetooth.
Context: The app allows Xbox One games to be played remotely, whether in another room away from the TV, or even while away from home by streaming over an internet connection. Keep in mind this app isn't sanctioned by Microsoft, which only officially supports Xbox One streaming on Windows 10.
Apple this afternoon uploaded a new iPhone tutorial video that's aimed at encouraging users to experiment with color when editing an iPhone shot to get a more distinctive photo.
The 32 second video walks users through selecting a photo, selecting the "Edit" function in the Photos app, and then tweaking the color levels to get a new look.
For the last several months, Apple has been sharing iPhone photography tutorials on a regular basis as part of an ongoing series designed to provide users with tips and tricks on using Camera and Photos features.
Like many videos in the photography series, the video focusing on color experimentation is aimed at people who aren't particularly familiar with the feature set of the iPhone.
More advanced users may not find this video, or other similar videos, useful, but for those who are new to the iPhone or who have yet to delve into all of the editing tools and features available when capturing images, Apple's info is worth checking out.
Apple has a dedicated Photography How To website where it aggregates many of the past tutorial videos it's shared. Topics include shooting selfie Portraits, adjusting slo-mo timing, experimenting with framing, using Portrait Lighting effects, and more.
Apple this afternoon uploaded several new short videos to its YouTube channel, which are aimed at luring current Android smartphone users to the iPhone.
The first video, "Ease," is meant to demonstrate how easy it is to transfer content from an Android device to an iPhone using the Move to iOS app from Apple.
In the video, a man holding an umbrella floats from the bottom of the screen, titled "Your phone" to the top of the screen, titled "iPhone," while the video's description points users towards the Move to iOS app.
Upgrade to iPhone. The Move to iOS app makes it simple to move your music, photos, and more to iPhone. Switch today.
A second video, styled in the same way, is meant to demonstrate the security of iOS devices compared to Android devices. The video's description highlights the frequent iOS updates that Apple releases.
Frequent iOS updates help keep your iPhone more secure. Life's easier on iPhone. Switch today.
Two additional videos, "Environment" and "Apple Support" focus on Apple's commitment to the environment and its support options, which include Apple retail stores, online support, and phone support.
All of the videos direct users to Apple's "Switch" website, which is designed for customers who use an Android or another smartphone and are thinking of switching to an iPhone.
The website answers simple questions like "Will it be easy to switch to iPhone?" and "Will iPhone be easy to use?"
It also offers up details on key features that differentiate the iPhone from other devices, such as Portrait Mode, iMessages, Apple-designed chips, Touch ID and Face ID, user privacy, the App Store, and more.
Since 2015, Apple has offered the "Move to iOS" app which is designed to make it quick for Android users to swap to an iPhone by transferring data like contacts, message history, photos and videos, web bookmarks, mail account information, calendars, wallpapers, DRM-free songs, and books.
Apple has been ramping up its efforts to lure Android switchers to iPhone since 2017, when it overhauled the "Switch" site and first began releasing ads targeted at Android users.
B&H Photo and Amazon have discounted the base model of Apple's new high-end iMac Pro desktop computer by $500 this week, offering it for $4,499, down from $4,999. Since early January, Micro Center has had the best deal on iMac Pro -- pricing the base model at $3,999.99 -- but this offer is unobtainable for those who don't live near one of Micro Center's locations, so B&H Photo and Amazon's deals should be good alternatives for online shoppers with their eyes on iMac Pro.
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.
There are two 27-inch models on sale at B&H Photo, including the base $4,999 configuration and a custom configuration with more RAM and an improved graphics card, both marked down by $500. In comparison, Micro Center's sale is only on the base model, and prior to that the only other sale was a $250 discount from Best Buy.
27-inch 5K iMac Pro, 3.2 GHz, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 - $4,499.00, down from $4,999.00 (B&H Photo / Amazon)
27-inch 5K iMac Pro, 3.2 GHz, 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 - $5,899.00, down from $6,399.00 (B&H Photo)
Also of note on Amazon today, you can get the Black and Midnight Blue leather iPhone X cases for just $34.99, dropping further down from a price point of about $37 last week, and originally priced at $50 on Apple.com. The only other color on sale is Charcoal Gray, running for $38.72 at the time of writing.
Head to our Deals Roundup for more Apple, Mac, and iPhone-related device and accessory sales, including a $40 discount on the UE Wonderboom speaker this week.
Israel-based software developer Cellebrite, known for breaking into mobile devices like the iPhone to obtain sensitive data, recently began informing customers that it can circumvent the security of iOS devices running iOS 11, reports Forbes.
With a way to break into iPhones running iOS 11, Cellebrite can potentially crack most of the iPhones available on the market. According to Forbes, the Department for Homeland Security was able to obtain data from an iPhone X in an arms-trafficking case in November, probably using Cellebrite technology to do so.
A warrant found by Forbes suggests an iPhone X was sent to Cellebrite on November 20, with data successfully extracted on December 5. Based on the warrant, it's not clear how data was obtained, but given the time gap, it's unlikely Face ID was used.
Cellebrite has not publicly announced or shared details on its ability to break into devices running iOS 11, but as noted by Forbes, the company's documentation [PDF] on what it can access now includes iPhones and iPads running iOS 11. Sources that spoke to Forbes have also confirmed the company is marketing its iOS 11 cracking techniques to law enforcement agencies around the world.
Devices supported for Advanced Unlocking and Extraction Services include:
Apple iOS devices and operating systems, including iPhone, iPad, iPad mini, iPad Pro and iPod touch, running iOS 5 to iOS 11.
Apple continually introduces improvements to the security of its operating systems in order to keep ahead of companies like Cellebrite that are always searching for flaws and vulnerabilities to exploit in order to access the data on locked iOS devices.
In iOS 11, for example, Apple began requiring an iPhone's passcode to establish trust with a computer, a change from earlier versions of iOS that also would authenticate a connection via Touch ID. Apple also added a secret biometric disabling mechanism to its SOS feature, which shuts down Touch ID or Face ID and requires a password when the SOS screen is triggered by pressing on the Sleep/Wake or Side button five times in rapid succession.
Still, even as Apple works to increase the security of its iOS devices, companies like Cellebrite work to find new ways to crack iOS devices and then sell their services to governments and other entities. Cellebrite also offers software that customers can purchase, but its most sensitive and secret tools, such as its method for unlocking devices running iOS 11, is not included to prevent Apple from finding and patching whatever vulnerability is being exploited.
Instead, Cellebrite requires law enforcement to send locked devices to their labs to keep techniques secret.
Cellebrite first garnered significant attention in 2016, when it was believed the company was enlisted to help the FBI break into the iPhone 5c of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook after Apple refused to provide the FBI with tools to unlock the device.
The FBI did not use Cellebrite's services for that particular case, but several United States government agencies do regularly work with Cellebrite to unlock iOS devices.
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.
Apple in 2018 will release three new iPhones, according to a report shared by Bloomberg this morning. The three devices, as we've heard before, will include an upgraded version of the iPhone X, "the largest iPhone ever" with a screen size close to 6.5 inches, and a third less expensive model.
Apple is said to be aiming to offer "a model for everyone" to rekindle iPhone sales after iPhone X sales came in lower than analyst expectations last quarter.
Bloomberg's report confirms details we've been hearing from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often shares accurate insight into Apple's plans. Kuo has said for months now that Apple is working on a second-generation 5.8-inch OLED iPhone, a larger 6.5-inch OLED iPhone that can be thought of as an "iPhone X Plus," and a lower-cost 6.1-inch iPhone with an LCD display.
While the 6.1-inch iPhone will feature a lower price tag, Kuo (and now Bloomberg) say all three devices will feature Face ID. The three devices will also feature edge-to-edge displays with the exception of a notch on the front of each device that will house the TrueDepth camera system.
The two higher-end devices will use A12 processors and will feature stainless steel edges, and at least one model could be available in gold, a color Apple is said to be considering adding. As for the lower-cost model, it will feature aluminum edges to keep costs down. Like the two higher-end models, it will feature a glass back for wireless charging.
For the larger iPhone model, Apple is said to be considering implementing a dual-SIM feature that would make it easier for people to switch carriers when traveling, but Bloomberg says it's not yet clear if the company will implement the feature.
Apple hasn't made a final decision on including the feature and could choose to wait for E-SIM technology, which will connect phones to multiple networks without the need for a removable chip. Apple has wanted to offer E-SIM technology, but some carriers are resistant to the idea and Apple needs their support. A dual-SIM capability would provide a compromise.
Apple's largest iPhone, which will measure in at 6.5 inches, is code named "D33." According to Bloomberg, some prototypes of this device feature a screen resolution of 1242 x 2688. Kuo has previously said the device will feature 480 to 500 pixels per inch, similar to the new 5.8-inch model, codenamed "D32."
Our first look at what could be the display for Apple's larger 6.5-inch iPhone leaked over the weekend, allegedly sourced from an LG Display plant in Vietnam. Apple is rumored to be sourcing displays for the larger 6.5-inch iPhone from LG, so the leak is potentially accurate.
As you might expect, the display component and digitizer looks a lot like an iPhone X display, only larger. The cutout at the top for the TrueDepth camera is visible, but little else can be gleaned from the image.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is already running production tests with suppliers, and so we could start seeing a significant pickup in part leaks in the near future.
Late in 2017, a crop of iPhone X clones began popping up in China, with each device deciding to copy the tenth anniversary iPhone's main identifier: the front-facing "notch." One such model was the "Leagoo S9," and at Mobile World Congress this week the company has announced new details about the phone, including a price tag of $149.99.
Images via Leagoo
Leagoo confirmed that the device has a 5.85-inch "HD+" IPS notch display, further describing the phone as the "World's First Android iPhone X." Leagoo's notch includes technology that fuels a "Face Access" feature, allowing users to unlock the phone in under 0.1 seconds. According to the company's website, there will also be a "Leagoo S9 Pro."
Other internal specs include an eight core chipset, 4GB RAM, a 3,300 mAh battery, and 32GB of storage, with a microSD card slot for further expansion possibilities. As a comparison, iPhone X's A11 chip includes six cores, the smartphone has 3GB of RAM, and it uses a 2,716 mAh battery.
The Leagoo S9 also features a rear fingerprint sensor for additional biometric security entry options for users, physical lock and volume buttons on the right of the device, a vertical rear camera, and a bottom bezel with the Leagoo logo. Each shot of the phone's software shows what appears to be consistent on-screen controls for returning home and going backwards within apps, suggesting these might be Leagoo's answer for the iPhone X's swipe up to go home gesture.
Besides the new information on the internals and cost of the Leagoo S9, the company has yet to announce a release date. Many more Android versions of the iPhone X are expected throughout 2018, with Google itself said to be expecting such a huge wave of iPhone X clones that it's "embracing" an iPhone X notch-like design within Android P.
Over the past few days there have been multiplereports of a new update to the Netflix app on iOS and Android devices, which includes a design overhaul for the streaming service's navigation bar on smartphones. Instead of placing every piece of navigation within the top lefthand corner "hamburger" menu, Netflix has introduced a simpler tab bar at the bottom of the app with four tabs for Home, Search, Downloads, and More.
Netflix's hamburger menu (iPad) compared to the new bottom tab bar (iPhone)
Previously, the left-handed menu housed profile switching, notifications, downloads, My List, and various themed categories. Now, these options are mostly located in the "More" tab, and Netflix has broken out Search and Downloads as a quicker method of jumping into those areas of the app. TV and film categories are also now located in the Search tab, including those Available for Download, Netflix Originals, Action, Dramas, Horror, and more. On Android, it appears that there will be an additional tab for users called "Coming Soon," displaying TV shows and movies launching soon on Netflix.
Apple encourages developers to use tab bars at the bottom of their apps in its Human Interface Guidelines, since they're easier to use one-handed and provide more information at a glance. Two years ago Spotify made a similar change, replacing its hamburger menu with five tabs for Home, Browse, Search, Radio, and Your Library, akin to Apple Music's tabs on iOS. Earlier this month, Google Maps added a bottom tab bar in its iOS app as well, so users could easily jump to Explore, Driving, or Transit information.
Netflix's rollout plan for the new tab bar remains unclear, with some iPhone and iPad users already seeing the update and others remaining on the older hamburger menu style.
Apple's legal battle against accusations that it intentionally slows down older iPhones to incentivize customers to upgrade to newer models will likely take place in one courtroom near the company's headquarters in California.
The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has disclosed that it will consider consolidating dozens of iPhone performance-related complaints filed against Apple during a hearing scheduled for Thursday, March 29 in Atlanta, Georgia, as is routine for similar cases filed across multiple states.
Apple currently faces 59 putative class actions across 16 district courts in the United States. The total includes 30 before Judge Edward J. Davila in the Northern District of California, where the lawsuits will likely be centralized given their overlapping claims, according to court documents obtained by MacRumors.
Apple faces similar class action lawsuits in at least six other countries, including one filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Canada on Friday, according to Toronto-based law firm Rochon Genova LLP.
The lawsuits have been mounting since late December, when Apple revealed that it throttles the maximum performance of some older iPhone models with chemically aged batteries when necessary in order to prevent the devices from unexpectedly shutting down. The so-called feature was introduced in iOS 10.2.1.
Apple initially didn't mention the change in its iOS 10.2.1 release notes, and in a statement issued a month later, it still only mentioned vague "improvements" resulting in a significant reduction in unexpected shutdowns.
Apple only revealed exactly what the so-called "improvements" were after Primate Labs founder John Poole visualized that some iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 devices suddenly had lower benchmark scores starting with iOS 10.2.1 and iOS 11.2 respectively, despite operating at maximum performance on previous versions.
Apple also emphatically denied any kind of planned obsolescence:
First and foremost, we have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades. Our goal has always been to create products that our customers love, and making iPhones last as long as possible is an important part of that.
Keep in mind that Apple is not permanently or persistently slowing down older iPhones. Even if your iPhone is affected, the performance limitations only happen intermittently, and only when the device is completing demanding tasks.
Sony today at Mobile World Congress revealed an upgraded version of its Xperia Ear earphones, called the Xperia Ear Duo. Sony previously showed the earphones in prototype form during last year's MWC, but the company has now officially announced a price point of $280 and release date of May 2018 for its latest smart assistant earphones (via The Verge).
The main new addition to Sony's earphones is the "Spatial Acoustic Conductor," which Sony describes as a way to allow the sound generated behind the user's ear by the unit's driver "to be transmitted directly into the ear." This way users will be able to hear their music while not being totally out of tune with noises coming in from their environment, which the company refers to as "Dual Listening." As such, there is no toggle to turn off the feature and block out ambient sounds.
The Xperia Ear Duo doesn’t block the ear canal, so you can hear your music and the environment around you simultaneously. Even better, the volume automatically adjusts depending on your surroundings for an optimised audio experience.
The Spatial Acoustic Conductor, developed by our in-house technology incubator Future Lab Program™, allows the sound generated behind the ear by the unit´s driver to be transmitted directly into the ear. The specially designed ring supporter surrounds the ear canal so your music can blend seamlessly with sounds from your environment.
Similar to Apple's AirPods, the Xperia Ear Duo earphones have multiple gesture controls that let users control music playback with taps. Additionally, Sony's earphones recognize head movement and support head nods and shakes to accept or decline incoming calls.
The Xperia Ear Duo will support iOS and Android smartphone connections, and subsequently have Google Assistant and Siri integration for both types of users, with a single tap bringing up each voice assistant for traditional commands like starting music or reading texts. The assistants will also be able to read missed alerts from calendar, email, and other applications.
Additionally, Sony said the earphones last for about four hours on one charge, and will come with a carrying case that adds an additional three charges. When they go on sale in May, the Xperia Ear Duo will be available in black and gold color options. For more information on the earphones, check out Sony's website.
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