MacRumors

Apple will retain the Lightning connector on the iPhone for the "foreseeable future," with no intention of switching to USB-C, according to reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In spite of much of the industry moving toward USB-C, Apple will not be using it to replace the Lightning connector on the iPhone 13, or indeed on any ‌iPhone‌ model for the time being. In a note seen by MacRumors yesterday, Kuo explained that Apple is reluctant to move to USB-C since it is a free, open standard, as well as less waterproof than Lightning.

We believe that USB-C is detrimental to the MFi business's profitability, and its waterproof specification is lower than Lightning and MagSafe.

Currently, Apple is able to strictly regulate the quality of Lightning cables and accessories through its Made for ‌iPhone‌ (MFi) program. MFi also generates a significant amount of income for the company since third-party manufacturers have to pay Apple a considerable commission to make Lightning cables or accessories.

Apple has used the Lightning connector on every ‌iPhone‌ since the ‌iPhone‌ 5 in 2012, but it has transitioned several of its devices to USB-C, including the iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and most recently, the iPad Air. With the need to connect to external drives being less pressing and some USB-C features such as external display connectivity outright impossible on an ‌iPhone‌, Apple is understandably less motivated to switch to USB-C on its most profitable product for MFi.

Transitioning the ‌iPhone‌ to USB-C this year would also leave a significant number of devices such as the entry-level iPad, iPad mini, AirPods, and a plethora of accessories such as the Magic Trackpad and MagSafe Duo charger, stuck with a connector that would no longer be widely used on any flagship products. Switching the ‌iPhone‌ to USB-C may, therefore, tip the scales against Lightning across Apple's product lineup, potentially forcing the company to phase out the connector entirely across a large number of products sooner than it wants to.

Amid rumors of a portless iPhone, Kuo clarified that Apple is more likely to switch directly to a portless model rather than first change to USB-C:

If the iPhone abandons Lightning in the future, it may directly adopt the portless design with MagSafe support instead of using a USB-C port.

In spite of this, Kuo stated that ‌MagSafe‌ wireless charging technology is not yet ready to displace a wired port, having only debuted as recently as October 2020 on the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup. ‌MagSafe‌ is currently unable to transfer data, complete a device recovery, or take diagnostics, which would seemingly be essential features on a future ‌iPhone‌ with no ports.

At present, the MagSafe ecosystem is not mature enough, so the iPhone will continue to use the Lightning port in the foreseeable future.

Overall, this means that Apple is intending to stick with the Lightning connector for the upcoming ‌iPhone‌ 13 at minimum, but could well extend to models beyond that, too.

Kuo's recent spate of reports about the future of the ‌iPhone‌ included the speculation that in 2022, at least some ‌iPhone‌ models will abandon the notch and switch to a "punch-hole display design" instead, and in 2023, Apple may unveil a 7.5–8 inch foldable iPhone.

Last week, the MLB app was removed from the third-generation Apple TV, with a tipster informing us that the app has been deprecated for the eight-year-old device. The MLB app now requires an Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K.

While the MLB has not provided a reason for the app being removed, the third-generation Apple TV was released in 2012, making it quite old. A few other popular apps are being removed from the third-generation Apple TV as of this month, including YouTube and CBS All Access, the latter of which is being rebranded as Paramount+.

AirPlay remains available for streaming content from an iPhone or iPad to the third-generation Apple TV, although one Twitter user said that AirPlay was not working for the MLB app, so your mileage may vary.

MLB will begin its 2021 season on April 1, with Spring Training underway now.

Apple today shared key insights from its Apple Hearing Study to encourage others to better understand and manage their hearing health. The data comes from thousands of participants across the United States.

For example, Apple said 25 percent of participants experience a daily average environmental sound exposure like traffic, machinery, or public transportation that is higher than the WHO's recommended limit. In addition, Apple said nearly 50 percent of participants in the study now work, or have previously worked, in a loud workplace.

Other insights shared by Apple:

• Average weekly headphone exposure for one in 10 participants is higher than the WHO's recommended limit.
• About 10 percent of participants have been diagnosed with hearing loss by a professional. Of these, 75 percent do not use assistive support such as a hearing aid or cochlear implant.
• 20 percent of participants have hearing loss when compared to WHO standards, and 10 percent have hearing loss that is consistent with noise exposure.
• Nearly 50 percent of participants haven't had their hearing tested by a professional in at least 10 years.
• 25 percent of participants experience ringing in their ears a few times a week or more, which could be a sign of hearing damage.

Apple explains how its products can help protect a person's hearing. With the Noise app on the Apple Watch, for example, users can enable notifications that alert when environmental noise levels might affect their hearing health.

Apple is sharing these findings just ahead of World Hearing Day on March 3, which aims to address hearing loss and related issues. By 2050, the WHO estimates more than 700 million people globally will experience profound hearing loss, according to Apple.

The Apple Hearing Study, available through Apple's Research app, is being conducted in collaboration with the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and data is being shared with the WHO's Make Listening Safe initiative.

Apple is offering new Apple Card customers 6% Daily Cash Back for purchases made from Apple for the month of March.

The new promotion is somewhat limited in scope, as it's only valid for Apple Card users who open an account during March. Typically, customers receive 3% Daily Cash Back for purchases made from Apple. The promotion does not apply to purchases made through the ‌Apple Card‌ Monthly Installment program, carrier financing plans, the iPhone Upgrade Program, App Store purchases, or Apple subscriptions such as Apple One.

To apply for the ‌Apple Card‌, open the Wallet app on an ‌iPhone‌, tap the plus button in the top-right corner, select ‌Apple Card‌, and follow the on-screen steps. Apple also offers a web-based application form.

The application process takes just a few minutes and, if approved, a virtual ‌‌Apple Card‌‌ will be available for purchases immediately. A physical, titanium ‌Apple Card‌ can also be requested through the Wallet app for use at retail stores that do not accept contactless payments.

‌Apple Card‌'s key features include color-coded spending summaries, no fees, and typically up to 3% cash back on purchases, paid out daily. The card remains limited to the United States, but there have been some hints pointing towards an international expansion in the future.

Micron today announced the launch of several new SSD options available under its Crucial brand, including a new high-end 4TB option and an affordable 500GB option.

The new version of the Crucial X6, priced at $489.95, offers 4TB of storage with read speeds of up to 800MB/s and drop protection from drops of up to 6.5 feet. The X6 is compatible with USB-C devices including Macs.

According to Micron, the Crucial X6 has been designed to be lightweight and portable to make it easy to take along when traveling or on the go. There's also a new 500GB portable SSD that's available for $69.95.

The new Crucial SSDs can be purchased from the Crucial website and Amazon starting today.

Arlo today announced the availability of the Essential Indoor Camera, which was first unveiled at CES. Focused on privacy, the Essential Indoor Camera has an automated privacy shield that's designed to cover the lens when needed.

Camera owners can activate the privacy lens using the Arlo app, preventing it from recording when people are home. When in "disarm" mode, the Essential Camera is unable to record and motion and audio detection is disabled. The camera needs to be put into an active mode to turn off the privacy shield, which can be done by opening a livestream view or changing the camera to "arm" mode.

The Essential Indoor Camera is priced at $99.99 and offers 1080p HD video, a 130-degree field of view, motion and audio detection, night vision, support for two-way conversations, and a built-in siren for emergencies. The siren feature can be triggered automatically from motion or audio detection, or activated through the Arlo app to deter would-be intruders.

HomeKit integration is not available for the Essential Indoor Camera at this time. Arlo said that it is working to have ‌HomeKit‌ available on products, but there are no updates on the Essential Indoor Camera. With no ‌HomeKit‌ availability, the camera can be controlled through the Arlo app.

The Essential Indoor Camera can be purchased from the Arlo website or from Amazon for $99.99.

Popular iOS app Weather Line has been acquired by an unnamed buyer and removed from the App Store with immediate effect, the developers behind the weather forecaster have announced.

Despite its acquisition and removal from the ‌App Store‌, anyone who has previously downloaded the app can still use it until the service is shut down in April 2022, while users of the premium paid-for service will also have their subscriptions extended until then for free. From the Weather Line blog:

In recent months, we were approached by a buyer. They saw the uniqueness of Weather Line and the strong foundation we've built. While we aren't able to provide further details on their future plans for the app, we hope you can understand, and will look forward to it.

The acquisition means the app is going away. Today, we removed Weather Line from the App Store. For all existing Weather Line users, free and paid, the app will continue working for 13 months, until April 1, 2022.

The developers went on to emphasize that no personal user data, such as email addresses and payment information, was included in the acquisition deal, and there are no circumstances in which anyone will be billed again by the app.

Weather Line's smart infographic-focused design, streamlined forecast interface, and ‌Home Screen‌ widgets proved a hit with iOS users, so it will be interesting to see what comes of it in future.

Dark Sky, another popular third-party weather app, was acquired by Apple last year, but there's currently no suggestion that Apple is behind the Weather Line buyout.

NASA's Perseverance rover, which recently made history landing on the surface of Mars, is powered by the same processor used in an iMac more than 23 years old.

As reported by NewScientist (via Gizmodo), the rover includes the PowerPC 750 processor, the same chip used in the G3 ‌iMac‌ in 1998.

The main chipset is the same; however, there are differences between the version of the processor shipped in a consumer computer and the one exploring space. The processor in the rover is built to withstand temperatures between -67 and 257 degrees Fahrenheit (−55 and 125 degrees Celsius) and comes with an added $200,000 price tag.

The PowerPC 750 processor was ahead of the game for its time, featuring a single-core, 233MHz processor, 6 million transistors (compared to today's 16 billion in a single chip), and based on 32-bit architecture.

Apple used PowerPC chips in Mac computers until it transitioned to Intel in 2005. Right now, Apple's going through a similar change, moving away from Intel to deploy its own custom Apple silicon in Macs.

Apple's iPhone 12 Pro models are set to contribute significantly to a 50% year-on-year growth of smartphone shipments worldwide in the first quarter of this year, according analyses conducted by Digitimes Research.

The pace of ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max shipments is expected to align with a ramp up in shipments from Chinese brands eager to fill a vacuum in the global market left by Huawei, culminating in a projected 340 million unit shipments globally in Q1 2021.

Apple's iPhone shipments are expected to total over 60 million units in first-quarter 2021, having seen such shipments reach over 90 million units a quarter earlier, Digitimes Research estimates. Apple is likely to be the top vendor for a six-month period that ends March 31, 2021, with total shipments of over 150 million units, up 38% from the same period of a year earlier.

Samsung Electronics will rank second and see its shipments decline slightly in the six months, or roughly 60-65 million units each for fourth-quarter 2020 and first-quarter 2021. Xiaomi will be in third place with its shipments totaling 90 million units in the six months, representing an increase of over 80% from a year earlier. Huawei will ship less than 20 million smartphones to be in sixth place in the first quarter of 2021.

JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee recently claimed that ‌iPhone‌ 12 series quarterly shipments continue to enjoy a year-on-year 13% increase, despite a dip in demand, while Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said that the firm had "increased confidence" that Apple's 5G-driven product cycle would extend well into 2022.

Those projections appear to be generally reflected by Digitimes' analyses, which predict global shipments of 5G-enabled phones to reach over 600 million units in 2021 compared to 280 million units shipped a year earlier.

Huawei, Apple and Samsung were the top-three 5G phone vendors in 2020, accounting for over 70% of global 5G phone shipments, according to the Taiwanese industry publication.

As expected, Apple has officially retired its Music Memos app, which allows musicians and songwriters to capture song ideas on the fly.

As noted by The 8-Bit, as of today Music Memos no longer shows up in App Store searches. Nevertheless, users who installed the app prior to March 2 can still use it and re-download the app if necessary using their ‌App Store‌ purchase history.

Apple announced in December that it planned to retire Music Memos after March 1, and advised users to export their Music Memos recordings to the Voice Memos library to ensure that they're saved.

Originally launched in January 2016, the app was able to analyze rhythm and chords of acoustic guitar and piano recordings, and instantly add drums and a bass line to provide a virtual, customizable backing band.

However, after improving Voice Memos in step with newer releases of iOS, Apple clearly became less convinced of the utility of also offering the Music Memos app, which received few updates in the course of its life.

The last update, version 1.0.7, only added the ability to export Music Memos recordings to the Voice Memos library, and Apple now encourages all musicians to use Voice Memos over Music Memos. Apple says that Voice Memos can be used to quickly capture ideas just as easily, and recordings can be taken further with GarageBand.

Exporting Music Memos to Voice Memos requires an iPhone with iOS 14 or an iPad with iPadOS 14, along with the latest versions of Voice Memos and Music Memos. Exported content will appear in Voice Memos in a folder titled "Music Memos."

Arizona is considering legislation that would prevent developers from being forced to use Apple's in-app purchase options, and as the bill heads to the Arizona Senate, Apple and Google are lobbying heavily against it.

As outlined by Protocol, Apple has been working against the bill since last month. Apple lobbyist Rob Didiron began fighting the legislation before it had been formally introduced, with Apple also hiring additional lobbyists and sending lawyers to Arizona.

"We went through a very difficult weekend where Apple and Google hired probably almost every lobbyist in town," said Arizona State Representative Regina Cobb, who created HB2005.

HB2005, an amendment to an 2005 Arizona bill, is designed to let app developers use third-party payment options to avoid the 15 to 30 percent cut that Apple takes from app purchases and in-app payments.

Cobb developed the bill after being approached by lobbyist Ryan O'Daniel, who represents the Coalition for App Fairness. The Coalition for App Fairness was formed in September 2020 and its members include Epic Games, Spotify, Tile, Basecamp, Blix, and other developers that have had disagreements with Apple.

In a hearing last week, Apple's chief compliance officer Kyle Andeer called HB2005 a "government mandate that Apple give away the App Store."

"This would allow billion-dollar developers to take all of the app store's value for free, even if they're selling digital goods, even if they're making millions or billions of dollars doing it. The bill is a government mandate that Apple give away the app store."

Apple in November lowered its ‌App Store‌ cut for developers making under $1 million to 15 percent, so for the majority of developers, Apple now collects 15 percent instead of 30 percent. Andeer said that 83 percent of developers pay no fees at all, as they offer free apps.

Apple last month successfully fought back against a similar bill in North Dakota, which would have paved the way for third-party app store options. The bill, which was also backed by the Coalition for App Fairness, was shot down by the North Dakota Senate.

It is not clear if HB2005 will pass in Arizona, as it is facing opposition from Arizona Democrats who do not believe that state legislature should interfere with ongoing litigation, referencing the legal battle between Apple and ‌Epic Games‌. Cobb this week plans to meet with Apple executives to "negotiate the contours of the bill."

Apple is working on MagSafe-compatible battery packs that will be compatible with the iPhone 12 models, and leaker Jon Prosser today said on the Genius Bar podcast that one version of the battery pack will feature "reverse charging."

According to Prosser, Apple is working on two versions of the battery packs, one that's a standard version and one that's a premium version with reverse charging. Prosser does not go into detail on reverse charging, but presumably this means that the battery pack will be able to charge an ‌iPhone‌ 12 while also charging AirPods from the other side at the same time.

Prosser has a mixed track record when it comes to predicting Apple's plans and is not always accurate, so the reliability of this information is unclear and should be viewed with some skepticism until confirmed. Prosser claims that his source is "not sure" if Apple will release both of these battery packs or if only one will launch, so we may not see a version with reverse charging debut. Later this week, Prosser plans to release renders of the battery packs based on information from his source.

Apple's work on ‌iPhone‌ 12 battery packs became apparent in mid-February after the launch of the second iOS 14.5 beta. There was a mention of a mysterious "battery pack" discovered in the code by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, and Bloomberg later confirmed that Apple is indeed working on an ‌iPhone‌ 12 MagSafe battery pack.

Gurman did not mention a reverse charging possibility, but some of the prototypes were described as having a white rubber exterior. Gurman said that development on the accessory has been hindered by software issues that Apple is still working on fixing before releasing the accessory.

Bilateral wireless charging was rumored for the 2019 ‌iPhone‌ 11 models, but it did not end up being a feature that Apple implemented because the company wasn't able to make it work. Two way wireless charging would have allowed an ‌iPhone‌ to charge another ‌iPhone‌ or to charge a small accessory like the AirPods.

After neglecting the app for several months, Google today finally updated Gmail on the App Store for the first time in exactly three months.

Today's update, version 6.0.210124, says it includes "Bug fixes and performance improvements," but it is a notable update given it's the first one the app has seen in months. Alongside Gmail, Google Meet, Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Calander, and Google Tasks have also received app updates today, with Google Tasks adding new iOS 14 widgets.

As with nearly all Google apps on the ‌App Store‌, Gmail had remained without a proper app update for months. Initial speculation was that Google was holding back app updates as a way to delay having to disclose to users its privacy practices. Updates for Google's more popular apps have started rolling out over the past few weeks, and Gmail is certainly one of the most high-profile ones to finally see an update.

Announced at WWDC 2020 and rolled out officially in December, Apple's privacy "nutrition labels" require developers to provide users detailed information about what data they collect and whether they share that data with third parties. As of early December, developers must provide this privacy information before a new or updated app can be made available on the ‌App Store‌.

Google updated Gmail with privacy labels just over a week ago, but the app itself was not updated until today.

Lawyers for Epic Games and Apple today participated in a management conference with Judge Yvonne Gonzalez to hammer out the details of an upcoming bench trial, which is now confirmed to take place on May 3.

Judge Gonzalez is planning to hold an in-person trial that will require all witnesses to travel to Northern California to answer questions before the court and the judge. She believes that the case is significant enough that the court should hear it in person, with witnesses in the case less likely to lie when sworn in in a physical courtroom.

Health considerations will be taken into account for witnesses that aren't able to travel to California, but the court will look into people who say they can't visit the court in person.

The judge said that the people involved and the companies involved have the available resources to quarantine for two weeks after the trial. The court plans to put measures in place to keep participants safe, including a limited number of people in the courtroom. Witnesses will be positioned far from the attorneys in the case, with distance between parties, and enough space will be given that witnesses can speak clearly without masks.

Based on the COVID numbers in May, the in-person trial could be set aside, but the case will go forward in May no matter what, even if it is held entirely over Zoom. The judge is pushing for a two to three week trial, while ‌Epic Games‌ wants it to last four to five weeks, with the exact length to be determined later when all of the case details are ironed out.

The Epic vs. Apple trial will delve into Epic's accusation that Apple is a "behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation" by imposing "anti-competitive restraints" against App Store developers and employing "monopolistic practices in markets."

‌Epic Games‌ will argue that the 30 percent cut that Apple takes from apps is "oppressive" as is the rule that requires developers to use in-app purchases. Apple lowered the 30 percent fee to 15 percent for developers earning under $1 million, but that does not apply to ‌Epic Games‌.

Apple will attempt to prove that its ‌App Store‌ prices are fair and in line with other competitors in the market, and that its ‌App Store‌ policies offer important protections for consumers.

All 270 Apple retail stores in the United States have been reopened as of today, marking the first time that Apple has had all locations operational since stores began closing in March 2020.

When the first shutdowns occurred on March 14, 2020, Apple initially planned to reopen stores starting on March 27th, but that did not happen and stores have been opening and closing on a rotating basis as the pandemic has continued.

Some stores began reopening in May 2020, but until today, not all locations were opened back up. Stores in Texas, including those in Houston, and Dallas, were the last to reopen after winter storms that affected the area.

As noted by 9to5Mac, there are still restrictions at many of the Apple Stores in the U.S. Some are offering in-store shopping appointments, while others are only set up for Express pickup of online orders and Genius Support appointments.

Apple uses local health and safety guidelines to dictate which stores operate, so there is still a chance that there could be additional shutdowns going forward should there be a change in a particular state.

Outside of the U.S., there are still stores closed in France and Brazil.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News 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.

In a wide-ranging research note today outlining a roadmap for the iPhone lineup, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared a tidbit on Apple's foldable ‌iPhone‌ plans, indicating that the company could launch a device with a 7.5–8 inch display in 2023.

A 2023 launch would be dependent on Apple being able to solve "key technology and mass production issues" this year. He says the product has "not yet officially kicked off," so it appears to still be in the research stage and previous rumors have indicated Apple could still decide not to proceed with it.

Rumors of a foldable ‌iPhone‌ have been rampant as other manufacturers have launched products with varying designs. Reports have indicated that Apple has been working with both Samsung and LG on foldable OLED display technology, with another recent report claiming the display would be in the range of 7.3–7.6 inches and support Apple Pencil.