Hartley Charlton
Hartley Charlton's Articles
iPhone 12 Camera Repairs Require Apple's Proprietary System Configuration Tool
iFixit has discovered that it is not possible to repair the iPhone 12's camera without access to Apple's proprietary, cloud-linked System Configuration app, raising questions over the repairability of the device.
iFixit says that it conducted exhaustive testing, compared notes with multiple repair technicians, and reviewed leaked Apple training documents to reach the conclusion that the...
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Apple Slips to Fourth Place for Smartphone Market Share, Overtaken by Xiaomi
Apple has shipped 10.6 percent fewer iPhones year-on-year in the third quarter of 2020, meaning that it has been overtaken by Xiaomi for the first time, according to new data shared by IDC.
The report details how Apple is now ranked as the fourth-largest smartphone manufacturer by market share. This is the first time that Apple has ranked fourth, with Xiaomi, Huawei, and Samsung exceeding...
Apple and Amazon Face Antitrust Scrutiny in Germany Over 'Brandgating'
Apple and Amazon are set to face antitrust scrutiny in Germany over a policy that forbids independent sellers from retailing Apple products on Amazon, Bloomberg reports.
Germany's antitrust regulator, the Federal Cartel Office, has launched a probe into Apple and Amazon over the policy of "brandgating." The policy allows the makers of branded products, such as the iPhone, to have...
iPhone 12 Demand Linked to Increased Air Pollution in China
Analysts for Morgan Stanley have said that air quality reports in some Chinese cities suggest an increase in industrial activity linked to iPhone 12 demand (via CNBC).
Morgan Stanley analysts led by Katy Huberty used tracked air quality data from cities such as Zhengzhou, which is a major production location for Apple, to aid iPhone 12 sales projections.
Using air quality data from a...
'Warp Drive - Teleport Racing!' Coming Soon to Apple Arcade
New game "Warp Drive - Teleport Racing!" is coming soon to Apple Arcade. The game is a new, fast-paced arcade-style racing game from Supergonk, with a unique concept at its heart.
Warp Speed features an innovative teleport gameplay mechanic that allows players to instantly traverse the racetrack to find shortcuts and hidden routes.
The warp teleport feature is fundamental to how the...
Top EU Antitrust Investigator Warns Against Break Up of Big Tech Companies
As the European Union increasingly targets big tech companies, top antitrust enforcer Margrethe Vestager has warned against the structural break up of big tech companies (via The Information).
The comments were somewhat surprising, as Vestager has aggressively pursued antitrust investigations against the likes of Apple, Google, and Amazon in recent years. For example, it was Vestager who...
Apple Researching Stronger Displays for Foldable Devices to Resist Cracking
A newly-published patent filing has revealed that Apple is developing a protective layer to resist cracking on foldable displays, as well as improve scratch resistance and durability (via Patently Apple).
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office filing, titled "Hybrid coverlay/window structure for flexible display applications," outlines how curved, flexible, or foldable display modules could...
Link Previews in Popular Messaging Apps May Lead to Security Vulnerabilities
A new report by security researchers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk has revealed that link previews in messaging apps can lead to security and privacy issues on iOS and Android. Through link previews, Bakry and Mysk discovered that apps could leak IP addresses, expose links sent in end-to-end encrypted chats, download large files without users' consent, and copy private data.
Link previews ...
Apple Shares Trailer for Apple TV+ Documentary 'Becoming You'
Apple has today shared a trailer for its new Apple TV+ documentary "Becoming You," which offers an insight into how children develop around the world. The series, narrated by Academy Award winner Olivia Colman, features 100 children from ten countries around the world. Each episode examines how babies of all nationalities learn to think and speak in their native languages. 2,000 days....
Apple's 'Arbitrary' App Store Policies Stifle the Launch of Facebook's Cloud-Streamed Games
Facebook has today announced a new series of cloud-streamed games for its app and website, but the service will be unavailable in-app to iOS users due to Apple's App Store policies (via CNBC).
Facebook explained in its announcement that the games will not be spun off into a separate cloud gaming service, instead remaining within Facebook's app and website.
The first set of games...
Google Reportedly Pays Apple $8-12 Billion Per Year to be Default iOS Search Engine
The United States Justice Department is targeting a lucrative deal between Apple and Google as part of one of the U.S. government's largest antitrust cases, reports The New York Times.
On Tuesday, the Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google, claiming the Mountain View-based company used anticompetitive and exclusionary practices in the search and advertising markets to ...
iPhone 12 Upgrades Interfering With COVID-19 Contact-Tracing App Notifications, How to Fix
Some iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro users in the UK have reported that their new devices are recieving an error message in the "NHS COVID-19" contact-tracing app, rendering it unusable (via BBC News).
'Unfortunately, You Can't Run This App'
Similar errors and issues have been reported in other regions contact tracing apps that also use Apple's Exposure Notification API. The error appears to...
Apple May Be Seeking to Acquire Bond Film 'No Time to Die' for Apple TV+
Film critic and screenwriter Drew McWeeny has postulated on Twitter that Apple is seeking to acquire the rights to upcoming James Bond film "No Time to Die" for its video streaming service, Apple TV+.
McWeeny, who has clear industry connections, suggested that Apple TV+ and Netflix are the frontrunners to possibly stream the new film, speculating that the bids involved are for significant...
MagSafe Charger Teardown Reveals Simple Design With Magnets and Charging Coil Encircling a Small Circuit Board
iFixit has today shared a teardown of Apple's new MagSafe charger for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro.
An X-ray of the MagSafe charger courtesy of Creative Electron reveals the internal charging coil surrounded by a circular arrangement of magnets within the puck.
The only seam that iFixit was able to leverage to open the device was where the white rubber circle meets the metal rim,...
Apple VP Kaiann Drance Interview Addresses Battery Life, MagSafe, and Power Adapter Concerns
Apple's Vice President of iPhone Marketing, Kaiann Drance, has provided a new interview to Rich DeMuro on the Rich on Tech Podcast, to discuss the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro.
Although much of the interview repeated points from Apple's "Hi, Speed" event, there were a number of interesting tidbits regarding the affect of 5G on battery life, MagSafe concerns, and the lack of a power adapter in...
iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPad Air 4 Now Available
The iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and fourth-generation iPad Air are now available in stores and arriving to customers around the world.
Apple has shared a Newsroom post with a range of images to celebrate the launch of the new products. Over the next 24 hours, the Newsroom post will apparently be updated with photos from around the world.
Our own forum members have started a number of...
MagSafe Charges 2x Slower Than Wired 20W USB-C Charger
Apple's MagSafe charger charges over two-times slower than a wired 20W USB-C charger, according to a new iPhone 12 video review from the Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern.
Screencap from video review The review of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro was generally critical of Apple's MagSafe technology, explaining that the idea seems to be better in theory than in practice. Although Stern...
Apple's AirTags Revealed in Newly Published Patent Applications
Two patent applications filed by Apple appear to depict the company's widely expected AirTags item trackers (via Patently Apple).
The filings, which include a large number of images, are titled "Mounting Base for a Wirelessly Locatable Tag" and "Fastener with a Constrained Retention Ring," and describe a wirelessly locatable tag that can be used to determine the absolute location of an...
Apple Shares 'Servant' Season 2 Teaser Ahead of January 15 Debut
Apple has today released a teaser trailer for the second season of M. Night Shyamalan's thriller series "Servant." The short clip highlights a variety of moments from the first season to tease the upcoming second season. According to Deadline, the ten-episode series will be released gradually with a new episode every Friday.
Following its suspenseful season one finale, the second...
Apple TV App Coming to PS4 and PS5
The Apple TV app will be coming to Sony's PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, according to an official blog post.
The Apple TV app will be located within the PS5's dedicated media space. It will also be compatible with Sony's new Media Remote for navigation and control.
Enjoy Apple TV+, Apple TV channels, new and popular movies, and personalized, curated recommendations on the Apple TV...
