MacRumors

Over the weekend, serial mobile leaker Evan Blass shared a leaked image of Samsung's forthcoming Galaxy S10 lineup, confirming earlier rumors that it will initially consist of three models to compete directly with Apple's latest devices, the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.

The S10 with 6.1-inch display is the mid-range device, while the S10E with 5.8-inch display is expected to be the most affordable model and appears in the image with two cameras on the rear where the other two phones have three. Meanwhile the premium S10+ with 6.4-inch display features two front-facing cameras housed within a longer pill-shaped hole punch.

Samsung is able to use a single camera cutout for the S10 because it has less technology than Apple's latest iPhones, which use a notch design to house the TrueDepth camera system that enables Face ID.

However, as suggested in the image, all the devices in the S10 line-up are expected to use in-display fingerprint scanners for authentication instead of the rear-mounted scanners featured on earlier Galaxy models.

Details on the phones' internal specs remain murky, although publicly shared benchmarks recently revealed the new S10+ model has 6GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 855 processor, earning the device lower Geekbench scores than Apple's latest iPhones.

In other news, Samsung's rumored 5G variant of its upcoming flagship, the tentatively named "Galaxy S10 X", has reportedly appeared in a recent firmware development. According to Sam Mobile, the software build references only South Korean carriers, suggesting development for the U.S. and European markets has yet to reach a similar stage.

Other rumored specs for the S10 X include a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display, a 5,000 mAh battery and four rear cameras. The 5G model is expected to appear in the second quarter of 2019, with one report pegging it for a launch in late March.

Samsung's Unpacked Galaxy S10 launch event will take place on Wednesday, February 20 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California, where the company is also expected to demo a functioning version of its all-new foldable phone, dubbed the "Galaxy Fold".

Apple Maps today gained comprehensive transit directions for Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, in the largest single combined update to its European coverage thus far.

The coverage includes train, tram, and bus routes in the capital cities of each country, including Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Helsinki, as well as funicular connections where available and transit links across borders.

Apple has yet to update its official list of locations for which Maps offers Transit data, but the information is already live across Europe.

Google Maps has supported transit directions for several years now, but ‌Apple Maps‌ has been steadily catching up with detailed routing information in recent years.

Transit coverage began in 2015 with an initial rollout in Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, and China. Since then, Apple has expanded the feature to many other regions around the world.

(Thanks, Bernd and Noah!)

Apple has shared a new "Shot on iPhone" video on its YouTube channel that presents a portrait of Eddie Siaumau, a 17-year-old athlete from American Samoa who has just accepted a full-ride scholarship to a NCAA Division I university.

Apple says the video is shot on an iPhone XS with the aid of a DJI Osmo Mobile 2 smartphone gimbal, the FiLMiC Pro app, and a few other accessories. The video is directed by Steven Counts and produced by Heather Zara.

Four months after Apple stopped selling the iPhone SE, the beloved device has made a sudden return to Apple's online store.

Apple is offering the iPhone SE with 32GB of storage for $249 and with 128GB of storage for $299 on its clearance store in the United States. These are brand new, unopened, and unlocked models with unchanged tech specs, including a 4-inch Retina display, A9 chip, Touch ID, and 12-megapixel rear camera.

Prior to being pulled, the iPhone SE was available with 32GB and 128GB of storage for $349 and $449 respectively, so Apple is offering $100 to $150 off. The device was originally released in March 2016 and was popular among fans of smaller smartphones and those who preferred the iPhone 5-like design.

It's unclear why Apple is selling the iPhone SE again, but it would appear to be clearing out stock. The iPhone SE remains on sale at select authorized resellers, as reflected on Apple's compare iPhone models page when the iPhone SE is selected.

Of course, with Apple recently lowering its revenue guidance for the quarter just ended due to fewer iPhone upgrades than it anticipated, speculation will certainly mount that Apple is doing everything it can to boost iPhone sales.

While many customers have hoped for a so-called iPhone SE 2, with some rumors suggesting one was in the works, oft-accurate Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo cast doubt on the possibility of a new iPhone SE last year. And in July of last year, one research firm said Apple abandoned its plans for a new iPhone SE.

Apple is offering the iPhone SE in Silver, Space Gray, Gold, and Rose Gold, with delivery or in-store pickup available by next week.

As of now, this appears to be U.S. only.

Update: iPhone SE stock is sold out as of Sunday morning.

Update 1/23: Apple has additional iPhone SE models in stock as of Wednesday afternoon, but available supply may sell out quickly.

Apple today uploaded a new series of iPad Pro videos to its YouTube channel, showing off the different features and capabilities of the new devices.

There are five videos, focusing on taking notes, going paperless by scanning documents, hosting a podcast, designing a space with the Measure app, and creating a presentation in Keynote. Each video is about a minute long and is done in a tutorial style to walk users through each task.

This is Apple's first set of ‌iPad Pro‌ tutorial-style videos, though the tablet was previously featured in a video focusing on five reasons why the ‌iPad Pro‌ can "be your next computer."

Apple's 11 and 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ models were first introduced in late October and shipped out in November. The iPads feature edge-to-edge displays with Face ID and no Home button, powerful A12X processors with performance on par with many Mac notebooks, USB-C to connect to 4K monitors and USB-C accessories, and thinner bodies.

The 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ starts at $799 for 64GB of storage, while the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ starts at $999, also for 64GB of storage.

So you've been using an iPhone for years now and think you have it all figured out? Don't be so sure. We've gathered up 7 tricks obscure enough that even the most seasoned iPhone user is likely to learn something new, so make sure to check out our latest YouTube video and read below for a little spoiler of all of the tips that are included.

• Reopen Last Closed Safari Tab - In Safari, if you press on the "+" button at the bottom of the display, you can reopen tabs that you've recently closed.
• Set a Music Timer - Like to listen to music when falling asleep but want it to turn off after a set time? In the Clock app, choose "Timer," scroll to the end, and select "Stop Playing" as an option. That'll stop your music when the timer runs out.
• Move Multiple Apps - When you're moving apps on your Home screen, if you long press on one, drag it away a bit and then tap others while continuing to hold the first, you can group them all up and move them together.
• 3D Touch for Folder Notifications - Have a bunch of apps in folders? If one of your folders has a little red badge, you can 3D press on the folder to see which app has a pending notification at a glance.
• Simple Settings Access - In an app like Messages or Photos and want to get to the Settings quick? Just say "Settings" to Siri and it will open right up.
• Siri Song History - In the iTunes Store app, you can find a list of all the songs you've ever asked ‌Siri‌ to identify. Just tap on the three line icon at the top of the display and then choose "‌Siri‌."
• Passcode Lock Apps - Apple doesn't let you passcode individual apps, but there's a Screen Time workaround. In the Screen Time section of the Settings app, choose "App Limits," and set a 1 minute timer on "All Apps & Categories." Go to "Always Allowed," add apps you DON'T want to lock, and then the rest will require a Screen Time passcode to access.

Did you learn something new? Now it's your turn. Let us know your most obscure, hidden iPhone trick that MacRumors readers should know, and we might feature it in a future video.

Apple in November launched Smart Battery Cases designed for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Max to add additional battery life to Apple's newest iPhones. The Smart Battery Cases for the 2019 iPhones join Smart Battery Cases designed for the 2018 iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max. 2018 was the first year that Apple reintroduced battery cases for its devices.

Priced at $129, the Smart Battery Cases come in either black, white, or pink sand (limited to 11 Pro and Pro Max) and are made from the same material as Apple's silicone cases. From our hands on article:

How does it work?

The Smart Battery Cases are similar in design to a silicone case but with an extra bump on the back that houses the battery pack. While attached to the iPhone, the Smart Battery Case functions like an external battery pack, providing additional power to the iPhone.

A Lightning connector built into the case connects to the Lightning port in the iPhone, but Lightning access remains available due to an additional Lightning port in the case itself.

When you have the Smart Battery Case on your iPhone, your iPhone will use all of the charge in the case before expending its own battery.

What's the capacity?

Each of the Smart Battery Cases features two 1,430mAh battery cells inside. Because there are two battery cells wired together, the cases run at a higher voltage that offers 10.9Wh of energy, making them higher capacity than previous battery cases introduced for iPhone XR and XS.

How much extra battery life does it add?

Apple does not list the specific amount of additional battery that each case adds, instead suggesting that the cases all deliver up to 50 percent longer battery life.

If we add an additional 50 percent battery life to the normal battery life for each of these devices, we can see the estimated battery life times are as follows:

iPhone Alone:

• iPhone 11 - Up to 17 hours video playback, up to 10 hours streamed video playback, up to 65 hours audio playback.
• iPhone 11 Pro - Up to 18 hours video playback, up to 11 hours streamed video playback, up to 65 hours audio playback.
• iPhone 11 Pro Max - Up to 20 hours video playback, up to 12 hours streamed video playback, up to 80 hours audio playback.

iPhone With Battery Case (Estimated):

• iPhone 11 - Up to 25.5 hours video playback, up to 15 hours streamed video playback, up to 97.5 hours audio playback.
• iPhone 11 Pro - Up to 26 hours video playback, up to 16.5 hours streamed video playback, up to 97.5 hours audio playback.
• iPhone 11 Pro Max - Up to 30 hours video playback, up to 18 hours streamed video playback, up to 120 hours audio playback.

Battery Case Alone (Estimated):

• iPhone 11 - Up to 8.5 hours video playback, up to 5 hours streamed video playback, up to 32.5 hours audio playback.
• iPhone 11 Pro - Up to 9 hours video playback, up to 5.5 hours streamed video playback, up to 32.5 hours audio playback.
• iPhone 11 Pro Max - Up to 10 hours video playback, up to 6 hours streamed video playback, up to 40 hours audio playback.

These are, of course, estimates based on the iPhone battery life and Apple's 50 percent extra battery life listing. The actual battery life that you get from each Smart Battery Case is going to vary based on what you're doing on your smartphone.

The new camera button

The Smart Battery Case has a new feature this year that sets it apart from prior Smart Battery Cases -- a dedicated camera button.

With the camera button, which is located on the right of the device under the side button, you can press it to automatically open up the camera app, regardless of whether the iPhone is locked or unlocked.

It provides a handy physical alternative to using the camera button on the Lock screen or the main camera app when the iPhone is unlocked. A press and hold will open up the camera app, and then another press will capture a photo.

If you press and hold while the camera app is open, you can record a QuickTake video. The camera button works with both the rear and front-facing cameras, and is a useful little addition that's great for getting to the camera quickly.

How does the case charge?

Apple built Qi wireless charging into the Smart Battery Case, so both the case and the iPhone can be charged using any Qi wireless charging accessory.

You can also charge the case via Lightning, and if you use a USB-PD compatible charger (aka a USB-C charger paired with a USB-C to Lightning cable) the case will charge up even faster. For fast charging, you can use one of Apple's USB-C Power Adapters for MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or MacBook, but third-party USB-C chargers over 18W also work.

Your iPhone will always charge before the case if the battery is low, and once the iPhone's battery is full, the case will charge. You can also charge the case all on its own without your iPhone inside using any of these charging methods.

Note: The Smart Battery Case does not come with a Lightning cable for charging purposes, so you will need to supply your own.

Can I use the Lightning port with the case on?

The Smart Battery Case’s Lightning port acts as a passthrough, so you can use Lightning-based accessories like headphones and adapters with your phone while it’s inside the case.

How can I check remaining battery life?

When the Smart Battery Case is attached to the iPhone, the battery life of the case is displayed on the Lock screen when you put it on a wireless charger, attach it to an iPhone for the first time, or attach a Lightning cable.

You can also check the battery life at any time by swiping to the right on the Home screen to open the Today view of the Notification Center. There's a battery widget that lists the battery life of the iPhone, the case, and other attached devices like AirPods or the Apple Watch.

Does the 2019 cases work with the 2018 iPhones?

Yes, with some caveats. The case is designed for the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models, and there are some differences with the camera cutout. You can get the iPhone XR, XS, or XS Max into the new case and it will charge, but the new side camera button is nonfunctional.

Where can I buy the Smart Battery Case?

Apple sells the Smart Battery Cases for iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max both online and in its retail stores. The cases are priced at $129.

iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR Smart Battery Case Replacement Program

For iPhone owners who have a Smart Battery Case designed for the iPhone XS, XS Max, or XR, Apple has launched a Smart Battery Case Replacement Program and is offering free replacement cases to customers who have had issues with charging the case or getting the case to properly charge an iPhone.

Apple and Qualcomm are embroiled in a bitter legal battle over licensing and royalty fees that's lasted for two years now and has led to the breakdown of the relationship between the two companies, but there may have been other factors in the breakup.

Leaked emails between Apple COO Jeff Williams and Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf seen by Bloomberg suggest the two companies may have cut ties over software access.

Williams wanted to continue to work with Qualcomm despite the legal battle, but Qualcomm accused Apple of leaking Qualcomm computer code needed to customize mobile chips. Williams offered to "firewall" the Apple engineers using the Qualcomm software and said nothing of value could be obtained from the code anyway.

"In my wildest imagination of some evil intention of Apple, I have trouble coming up with a real scenario where anything of significant value could be leaked based on this code," Williams wrote in September 2017.

Mollenkopf told Williams that he was concerned about protecting Qualcomm's proprietary information, and while he offered to provide software access to Apple, he asked Apple to commit to using Qualcomm chips in at least 50 percent of iPhones over the next two years.

Qualcomm in September 2018 accused Apple of stealing confidential information and trade secrets and passing it on to rival chipmaker Intel. From Qualcomm's lawsuit against Apple:

Although discovery is ongoing, it is clear that Apple's conduct went far beyond simply breaching the contract originally sued on. Indeed, it is now apparent Apple engaged in a years-long campaign of false promises, stealth and subterfuge designed to steal Qualcomm's confidential information and trade secrets for the purpose of improving the performance of lower-quality modem chipsets, with the ultimate goal of eliminating Qualcomm's Apple-based business.

As Bloomberg points out, it appears the software dispute was a key reason the two companies cut ties, as both were willing to continue to work together despite the legal battle. The fight has heated up since then, though, with Qualcomm winning import bans on iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models in China and Germany.

Qualcomm is in court this week facing an antitrust lawsuit levied against it by the FTC, with the FTC accusing the company of using anticompetitive tactics and exorbitant licensing fees to remain the dominant baseband chip supplier.

Executives from many companies have testified against Qualcomm, including Jeff Williams. Earlier this week, Williams said that Qualcomm had refused to sell Apple chips for the 2018 iPhone models.

Apple has been ordered to stop using a part of a recent press release that claimed the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 would still be available in Germany through carriers and resellers, reports Bloomberg.

Apple released the statement following a preliminary injunction in December that prevented the company from selling older iPhones in Germany. Apple at the time said that while it would stop selling the devices at its own retail stores, they would remain available via other means.

Qualcomm yesterday got another preliminary injunction to stop Apple from using that statement because it was "misleading." The court's ruling, said Qualcomm, also required Apple to stop offering the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 via resellers, too, and the court agreed.

"The press release is misleading because it contains statements that are at least potentially deceptive about the availability of the goods," the judges wrote. "The statement conveys the impression of unlimited availability."

Apple has not been selling iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models in its retail stores or online in Germany since January and prior to the order about the press release, was also ordered to pull iPhones from partner stores. Some German resellers have continued to sell the devices, however.

Apple's newest iPhones, the XR, XS, and XS Max are not affected by the sales and import ban and continue to be available in the country.

Qualcomm also won a preliminary injunction against the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 in China, but Apple was able to skirt the ruling via a software update that removed patented content.

With support for the now-discontinued Windows 10 Mobile devices set to end on December 10, 2019, Microsoft is recommending that its current Windows 10 Mobile customers move to an Android or iOS device instead.

Microsoft made the recommendation in a Windows 10 Mobile support document (via Thurrott) explaining its plans to stop offering security updates and patches for Windows 10 Mobile.

With the Windows 10 Mobile OS end of support, we recommend that customers move to a supported Android or iOS device. Microsoft's mission statement to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more, compels us to support our Mobile apps on those platforms and devices.

Microsoft ended support for Windows Phone in July 2017 and stopped active development on Windows 10 Mobile in October of that year, leading to the death of the platform. Microsoft struggled to get app developers to write apps for the device, and it was also never able to establish a strong user base.

With the abandonment of Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft has been focusing on other platforms and has a wide array of apps available for both iOS and Android devices.

All customers who have a Windows 10 Mobile device will be able to keep using it after December 10, 2019, but no further updates will be available.

AAPL shares are currently trading above the $157 mark on the intraday market, recouping virtually all losses incurred since Apple CEO Tim Cook slashed Apple's revenue guidance by up to $9 billion for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year.

AAPL closed at $157.92 on January 2, immediately prior to Cook revealing the shortfall in an after-hours letter to shareholders, and is now trading just cents below that level. The stock has gradually recovered over the past two weeks since establishing a new 52-week low of $142 on January 3.

The letter sparked concerns among some investors and analysts that Apple has reached "peak iPhone," especially given Apple's revelation that it will no longer disclose unit sales in its quarterly earnings reports going forward.

While the iPhone accounts for around two-thirds of Apple's revenue, the company has repeatedly touted the continued growth of its services, including the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, iTunes, and so forth, which combined for a nearly 19 percent increase in revenue on a year-over-year basis in the quarter.

Apple is widely expected to launch a streaming TV service this year that will likely boost the revenue of that category even further.

In his letter to shareholders, Cook said Apple is undertaking and accelerating multiple initiatives to improve its results, including making it simple to trade in a phone at its stores. Back in November, Apple launched a promotion offering up to $100 in extra trade-in credit towards a new iPhone XR or iPhone XS.

AAPL will report its earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2019 on January 29, followed by a conference call to discuss the results at 2 p.m. Pacific Time.

Apple supplier Foxconn has let go around 50,000 contract workers at its iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, China, with the first cuts happening in October 2018. As one source with knowledge of Foxconn's plans told Nikkei, the scale of the cuts is not what stands out, but the fact that it's significantly earlier than previous years.

"It's quite different this year to ask assembly line workers to leave before the year-end," the source stated. Foxconn typically renews workers' contracts every month from August until January, at which point the workforce is scaled back for slow iPhone production season. This year, those cuts came as much as three months early.

The same is true for other Apple suppliers according to today's report, with Pegatron canceling monthly labor contracts last November. One source said that Pegatron's cuts "happened sooner than in the past because of poor demand," referring to the iPhone.

Even smaller companies in Apple's supply chain reportedly cut down on their workforce, with one unnamed component supplier based in Shenzhen asking 4,000 workers to take an extended vacation from October to March. On March 1, the company will decide whether or not to lay the workers off.

For Foxconn, the company is preparing for restructuring throughout the company, merging business units that make iPads and MacBooks with the division making Dell and Acer computers. This means "steep cuts" to management, human resources, administrations, accounting, and utility support jobs, totaling 100,000 jobs removed by the end of 2018 and costs cut by $2.96 billion in 2019.

Apple in late December told its suppliers to cut production on new iPhones by 10 percent over the next three months, coming on the back of reports about weak iPhone sales during the holiday quarter. In early January, Apple CEO Tim Cook called reports claiming the iPhone XR was a flop "bologna," stating the device has been the most popular iPhone "every single day" since it launched.

Amid all of this, many Apple suppliers cut their 2019 sales forecasts, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Nidec. Specifically for the China market, these suppliers noted an "extraordinary" drop in demand for high-end smartphones.