MacRumors

Apple is planning to begin reopening its retail stores beginning with its sole Apple Store in South Korea, located in Seoul's Gangnam district.

The store's page says that it will be opening at 12:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, April 18. It will operate on limited hours for the next several days, opening at noon and closing at 8:00 p.m. In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple said the store will focus on support rather than sales when it reopens.

Apple said in a statement that "South Korea has shown great progress during the spread of COVID-19," prompting the company to reopen its Seoul store on April 18. The location will operate on an adjusted schedule to begin with "to ensure customers and employees continue to stay healthy." Apple also said it will be focusing on support, rather than sales, to begin with.

"A focus for the store will be service and support at the Genius Bar," Apple said in a statement Thursday. "For customers who want to make a purchase, we have several options including ordering online for delivery or pick up in store."

Apple's retail locations outside of China have been closed since March 14, when Apple shut down all stores amid the global health crisis.

In a March note sent out to employees, Apple's retail chief Deirdre O'Brien said that Apple planned to begin opening stores in the first half of April. "We will reopen our stores on a staggered basis. At this time, we anticipate some stores may be able to open in the first half of April depending on the conditions in their community," she told employees.

Apple plans to begin reopening stores in the United States starting in early May, with the company likely planning to relaunch stores on a rolling basis over a period of weeks based on local conditions and guidelines.

Apple this week added a new selection of products to its online store, including the First Alert Onelink smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, a bike mount kit for the iPhone 11 Pro, and two Eve smart home accessories.

Available in battery powered or hardwired versions for $119.95, the Onelink is a HomeKit-compatible alarm that rings an 85 dB siren and pushes a notification to your iPhone or other device in the event smoke or carbon monoxide is detected in your home. You can also test the alarm or silence false alarms from your iPhone.

For cyclists, the Quad Lock Bike Mount Kit can be used to attach an iPhone 11 Pro to a bike's stem or handlebars. The kit is priced at $69.95.

Last, Apple is now carrying the HomeKit-enabled Eve Energy smart plug for $39.95 and the Eve Water Guard for $79.95. The latter can detect water leaks and alert you via push notification, a 100 dB siren, and a red flashing warning light.

Apple is also carrying new iPhone SE cases, replacement AirPods Pro ear tips, and a wheel kit, feet kit, and Radeon Pro W5700X graphics card for the new Mac Pro.

The launch of a new high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a Mini-LED display may be "delayed" until early 2021 due to the device's "complex panel design," analyst Jeff Pu said today in an investor note with Chinese research firm GF Securities.

Back in December, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was developing up to six Mini-LED products, including a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an A14X chip for release in the third quarter of 2020. This was before the global health crisis began, however, so it would be understandable if the timeframe has been pushed back due to supply chain disruptions and Apple engineers being forced to work from home until at least early May.

Last month, leaker Jon Prosser said a new 5G-enabled iPad Pro with an A14X chip and no other hardware changes would be introduced in late 2020, barring any delays. If that proves accurate, it would seem really soon for Apple to update the iPad Pro yet again with a Mini-LED display in early 2021, so rumors are not entirely lining up right now.

Apple just refreshed the iPad Pro last month, but it was a relatively minor update, with new features including an A12Z Bionic chip that has since been found to be an A12X chip with an extra GPU core enabled, an Ultra Wide camera that enables 0.5x zoom, a LiDAR Scanner for enhanced augmented reality, and better sounding microphones. It was the first update to the iPad Pro since the device received a major redesign in October 2018.

Pu also reiterated that Apple is currently on track to release three new iPhone 12 models in September, including one 5.4-inch model and two 6.1-inch models, followed by the highest-end 6.7-inch model in October.

Apple's long-rumored over-ear wireless headphones are likely to be unveiled later this year, and a new report today from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman offers more details on what we can expect from the product.

According to the report, Apple is working on at least two versions of the headphones, including a "premium version with leather-like fabrics" and a "fitness-focused model that uses lighter, breathable materials with small perforations."

Prototypes of the headphones have a retro look with oval-shaped ear cups that swivel and a headband connected by thin, metal arms. The arms stem from the top of the ear cups rather than the sides, the people added. They asked not to be identified discussing products that haven’t been announced.

According to Gurman's sources, the over-ear headphones that Apple is currently developing have ear pads and headband padding that attach to the frame magnetically, allowing users to swap them in and out for customization and replacement. This design may even allow users to easily convert the headphones from comfort to fitness.

Apple is expected to use wireless-pairing and noise cancellation features in the headphones like those found in its AirPods Pro earbuds. Similarly, the new headphones will use Siri for voice control and have a limited set of integrated touch controls, according to the report.

Apple headphones have been rumored for a few years now. Since 2018, rumors have predicted launch dates for the headphones that continuously miss their mark, from launching in late 2018 to sometime in the second half of 2019. However, leaked icons for the headphones were found in a leaked iOS 14 beta last month, suggesting a release sooner rather than later.

The latest murmurs from Gurman's sources say Apple plans to unveil the headphones later this year, and Twitter leaker John Prosser has claimed Apple is targeting a June WWDC debut, with pricing set at around $350, putting them in the range of Beats Studio3 and Bose 700 headphones.

Apple is reportedly planning to target the high-end audio market with the device, which could explain the ongoing delays in the manufacturing process as the company tries to perfect the design.

The impact of the viral pandemic could also cause problems for Apple. Gurman says China's Goertek is one of the partners Apple has discussed for handling assembly of the headphones, but the manufacturer has yet to recover fully from the disruption.

Likely-accurate battery and RAM specifications for the new iPhone SE surfaced this morning in a Chinese Telecom spec sheet (via IndiaShopps).

Apple announced the new-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ yesterday, touting its 4.7-inch display, Touch ID Home button, A13 Bionic chip, wireless charging and $399 starting price.

However, in typical fashion, Apple didn't disclose the new phone's battery capacity or RAM. Teardowns of the device should reveal these details in the coming days, but until then we have to trust that carrier listings are accurate.

China Telecom's listing claims that the new ‌iPhone SE‌ features 3GB of RAM. For comparison, the iPhone 11 series feature 4GB of RAM, suggesting Apple has put less memory in the ‌iPhone SE‌ to match the lower requirements of its single lens camera and other hardware capabilities.

According to the listing, the new ‌iPhone SE‌ has the same 1,821 mAh battery capacity as the ‌iPhone‌ 8, which it has effectively replaced in Apple's lineup. Given that Apple says the ‌iPhone SE‌ lasts "about as long as the ‌iPhone‌ 8," that number also sounds about right.

Apple claims up to 13 hours video playback and up to 8 hours streaming video on a single charge of its new ‌iPhone SE‌. By comparison, the ‌iPhone‌ 11 battery offers 17 hours video playback and up to 10 hours streaming.

The ‌iPhone SE‌ comes in black, white and (PRODUCT)RED, and pricing starts at $399 in the United States with 64GB of storage, with 128GB and 256GB options available for $449 and $549 respectively. It will be available for pre-order beginning at 5 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, April 17. The device will also be available for purchase at select Apple Authorized Resellers and carriers starting Friday, April 24 in the United States and more than 40 other countries and regions.

(Thanks, Mitul!)

Starting today, customers who purchase a Mac Pro can choose to add a Radeon Pro W5700X graphics card with 16GB of GDDR6 memory to their machines when using Apple's build-to-order feature, a new option that was just added.

When the ‌Mac Pro‌ was released, Apple said that the W5700X graphics card option would be coming in the near future, but it has taken a few months for it to show up.

Selecting the Radeon Pro W5700X adds an additional $600 to the price of the ‌Mac Pro‌, with Apple also offering an option to add two Radeon Pro W5700X graphics cards for a total of $1,600. It's also available as a standalone purchase for $1,000.

These graphic card options are in addition to the default Radeon Pro 580X and Radeon Pro Vega II and Duo options that were already available.

The new iPhone SE, like the iPhone XR, ‌iPhone‌ 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, features support for Haptic Touch instead of 3D Touch, which means that ‌3D Touch‌ has officially been eliminated from Apple's ‌iPhone‌ lineup as the now-discontinued ‌iPhone‌ 8 was the last ‌iPhone‌ Apple sold that supported ‌3D Touch‌.

Apple first removed ‌3D Touch‌ from the ‌iPhone‌ XR in 2018, replacing it with Haptic Touch. The feature was then rolled out to the entire 2019 ‌iPhone‌ lineup, and now, added to the ‌iPhone SE‌.

‌Haptic Touch‌ is similar to ‌3D Touch‌ and offers a lot of the same functionality, but it is not pressure sensitive so there are no longer multiple functions for each press, such as the "Peek and Pop" gestures that were possible with ‌3D Touch‌.

‌Haptic Touch‌ is more like a long press or a press and hold with haptic feedback, and like ‌3D Touch‌, it works throughout the iOS operating system. It can be used by pressing in a relevant location until a small haptic pop is felt under the finger and a secondary menu pops up, with content varying based on where the feature is used.

For those coming to an ‌iPhone SE‌ from an older phone with ‌3D Touch‌, the transition to ‌Haptic Touch‌ will feel unfamiliar at first because it's slower than the ‌3D Touch‌ gestures, but because it ultimately works in the same way, most users should become accustomed to it quickly.

Eliminating ‌3D Touch‌ in favor of ‌Haptic Touch‌ across the ‌iPhone‌ lineup allows Apple to provide a similar interface experience for all ‌iPhone‌ and iPad models. For more on how ‌Haptic Touch‌ works and where it can be used, make sure to check out our Haptic Touch guide.

Apple's new iPhone SE is essentially an iPhone 8 with some updated hardware that brings it in line with the ‌iPhone‌ 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. Along with an A13 chip, the ‌iPhone‌ 8 has a few other notable hardware upgrades worth noting.

Like the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and 11 Pro, the ‌iPhone SE‌ supports 802.11ax WiFi 6, according to the technical specifications page for the device. In fact, it has the same LTE, Bluetooth, and WiFi specifications as the ‌iPhone‌ 11:

• Gigabit-class LTE with 2x2 MIMO and LAA4
• 802.11ax Wi‑Fi 6 with 2x2 MIMO
• Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
• NFC with reader mode
• Express Cards with power reserve

WiFi 6 is the latest WiFi protocol, and it allows for download speeds up to 38 percent faster than WiFi 5 (802.11ac). WiFi 6 has not been widely adopted as of yet, but addition of WiFi 6 will become increasingly important over the next few years as routers and modems begin implementing support.

The ‌iPhone SE‌ also supports NFC with reader mode as all modern iPhones do, plus Express Cards with power reserve. This feature, also included in the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and 11 Pro, allows for authentication of Express Transit cards even when an ‌iPhone‌'s battery is exhausted. It will also be a useful feature for the "CarKey" function that Apple has in the works, which will let an ‌iPhone‌ serve as an alternative to a traditional car key in vehicles that support the feature.

Though the ‌iPhone SE‌ shares many connectivity features with Apple's flagship iPhones, it does not include the U1 chip that enables Ultra Wideband technology for improved spatial awareness.

The U1 chip, which is in the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and 11 Pro, allows iPhones to precisely locate other U1-equipped Apple devices, making it easier to locate missing devices indoors. Ultra Wideband has been described by Apple as "GPS at the scale of the living room," and it is believed to be a key feature of the AirTags that Apple is developing.

AirTags are Bluetooth trackers much like Tile, and will attach to items like keys and wallets to allow them to be found in the Find My app on ‌iPhone‌, iPad, and Mac. AirTags will be locatable through standard Bluetooth, but it is believed they will have U1 support and tracking could be more accurate with devices equipped with a U1 chip.

At this time, the U1 chip is limited to Apple's flagship iPhones, and there have been two new devices released without it - the iPad Pro and now, the ‌iPhone SE‌.

Apple today announced that it is partnering with (RED) to redirect 100 percent of eligible proceeds from purchases of its (PRODUCT)RED products to The Global Fund's newly established COVID‑19 Response Mechanism, through September 30.

Apple says the COVID-19 Response Mechanism will provide critical support in countries with health systems most threatened by outbreak and, in turn, help preserve lifesaving HIV/AIDS programs in sub-Saharan Africa that (RED) proceeds usually go towards. The funds will go towards personal protective equipment like masks, diagnostics treatment, lab equipment, public safety communications, supply chain support, and more.

Apple sells a wide variety of products in the special (PRODUCT)RED color, including the just-announced second-generation iPhone SE, various iPhone and iPad cases and accessories, Apple Watch bands, and select Beats headphones and speakers.

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.4.5 updates to developers, two weeks after seeding the first betas and a month after releasing iOS and iPadOS 13.4 with iCloud Folder Sharing, iPad trackpad support, and more.

iOS and ‌‌iPadOS‌‌ 13.4.5 can be downloaded from the Apple Developer center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed.

The iOS 13.4.5 update appears to focus primarily on bug fixes, under-the-hood improvements, and other small tweaks and changes. It may address an issue with Personal Hotspot that prevents it from working for some people and it could also fix a VPN-related vulnerability.

The update includes a new Apple Music feature that allows ‌Apple Music‌ songs to be shared on Instagram Stories. Tapping the Share button on a song in ‌Apple Music‌ creates a story with a song title, album name, and animated background, but at this time there is no way to get to ‌Apple Music‌ from the shared information.

No other major changes were found in the first beta, but if something new is found in the second beta, we'll update this article. iOS 13.4.5 could be one of the final updates to the iOS 13 operating system as Apple will soon shift its focus to iOS 14.

AppleCare+ for the newly released $399 iPhone SE is available for $79, a $50 price drop compared to the $129 ‌AppleCare‌+ price that Apple charged for the now-discontinued iPhone 8.

The standard AppleCare+ plan extends the one-year warranty and provides coverage for two incidents of accidental damage every 24 months, with the service fee priced at $29 for screen damage and $99 for other damage.

Apple also offers AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss for the ‌iPhone SE‌ for $149, with this plan covering damage and also offering a replacement device should the ‌iPhone SE‌ be stolen or lost. A replacement phone requires a service fee of $149 in addition to the ‌AppleCare‌+ plan price.

There are monthly payment options for each of these ‌AppleCare‌+ plans, with the standard ‌AppleCare‌+ priced at $3.99 per month and the Theft and Loss ‌AppleCare‌+ plan priced at $7.99 per month. Monthly plans renew automatically each month until canceled.

All ‌AppleCare‌+ plans need to be purchased alongside a new ‌iPhone‌ or within 60 days after purchase with in-store inspection or remote diagnostic. All of Apple's ‌AppleCare‌+ plans, monthly and standard, are renewable for the life of the device.

AirPods Pro feature an in-ear design with three sizes of soft, flexible silicone tips included in the box, and if you happen to lose those tips, Apple now sells replacements through its online store. The replacement tips will likely also be stocked at Apple Stores, although all locations outside of Greater China remain closed.

Apple offers two sets of small, medium, or large ear tips for $7.99 each in the United States, with pricing varying in other countries.

Replacement ear tips were previously only available through Apple Support, priced at $3.95 for a single set in any size. This remains an option for customers who want to save a few dollars. Follow our step-by-step instructions.