Joe Rossignol

Joe joined MacRumors as an Editor in January 2015, based out of Toronto, Canada. He has been writing about Apple since 2008, with bylines at 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, and many other tech-focused publications.

Joe has been cited by major media outlets, including Bloomberg News, CBS, CNBC, CNN, NBC, Reuters, TechCrunch, and The Washington Post. Many of his headlines have been featured by tech news aggregator Techmeme.



Foxconn CEO Terry Gou Plans to Step Back, Confirms iPhone Production Will Begin in India

Monday April 15, 2019 5:10 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Terry Gou, the chairman and CEO of Foxconn, plans to step back from day-to-day operations of the company in the coming months. Getty Images/New York Post From the South China Morning Post:"I'm already 69 years old. I hope to pass down my 45 years of experience to young people," said Gou on the sidelines of an event in Taipei on Monday. "That's the goal I set up – let young people learn sooner and take over my position sooner. Then I have more time to make long-term planning for the company."While it appears that Gou will soon resign as Foxconn chairman, he hopes to remain involved in larger strategic decisions. Gou, 69, founded Foxconn in Taiwan in 1974. The company has grown to become the world's largest electronics manufacturer, assembling well-known products ranging from iPhones and iPads to the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. Gou also confirmed that Foxconn will soon begin iPhone production in India, although he did not elaborate on the plans. Last week, a report claimed that Foxconn will begin production of the iPhone X in India this July. Foxconn rival Wistron already assembles older models like the iPhone SE and iPhone 7 in India. Last week, Apple announced that Foxconn and over two dozen other companies in it supply chain have committed to using 100 percent renewable energy when manufacturing Apple
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Disney CEO Bob Iger Staying on Apple's Board, Will 'Continue to Monitor' Situation

Friday April 12, 2019 11:25 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Disney CEO Bob Iger has sat down with CNBC's David Faber to discuss a wide range of topics, including the company's upcoming streaming service Disney+ and how that will impact his position on Apple's board of directors. Despite the fact that Disney+ will compete with Apple's upcoming TV+ streaming service, Iger said the business of direct-to-consumer television or movies is "still very small" to Apple. At this point, Iger doesn't believe the situation is "problematic," but said it is one he will "continue to monitor." Transcript via CNBC:DAVID FABER: The Apple board. It's another thing I just was curious about. Can you stay on that board? BOB IGER: Well, obviously, when you sit on the board of a publicly traded company, you have to be very mindful or your responsibilities, fiscal responsibilities to the shareholders of that company, and I have been. When the business of direct-to-consumer or television or movies is discussed on the Apple board, I recuse myself from those discussions. There aren't many of them. It's still very small business to Apple. And I'm not at the point where I, you know, I believe it's problematic, but it's something that I have to continue to monitor.Apple named Iger to its board of directors in 2011 under the leadership of CEO Tim Cook. Disney+ will feature both new and existing movies and series from Disney and its brands, including Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, and National Geographic. It will also offer series from Fox, including all 30 seasons of The Simpsons. The service is slated to launch November 12 for $6.99 per month in the
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Dutch Antitrust Watchdog to Investigate Whether Apple Gives Itself Preferential Treatment in App Store [Updated]

Thursday April 11, 2019 6:34 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, or ACM for short, today announced that it will investigate whether Apple abuses its position in the App Store by, for example, giving preferential treatment to its own apps. ACM says the investigation will initially focus on Apple because the majority of anticompetitive allegations it has received from other companies and developers have been about the App Store. More specifically, the investigation will revolve around Dutch apps for "news media" available in the App Store. ACM board member Henk Don:To a large degree, app providers depend on Apple and Google for offering apps to users. In the market study, ACM has received indications from app providers, which seem to indicate that Apple abuses its position in the App Store. That is why ACM sees sufficient reason for launching a follow-up investigation, on the basis of competition law.However, the antitrust watchdog stresses that Apple is innocent unless proven guilty, and also encourages developers to come forward if they experience similar problems with Google's Play Store. ACM launched the investigation upon completion of its market study that explores the influence of app stores. For numerous apps, the watchdog found that no realistic alternatives to the App Store and Play Store exist, potentially giving Apple and Google the opportunity to set unfair conditions.On the one hand, Apple and Google have an interest in offering many different apps from app providers in their app stores. On the other hand, however, Apple and Google are app providers in their own
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iPhone Assembler Foxconn and Other Suppliers Pledge to Use 100% Renewable Energy for Apple Production

Thursday April 11, 2019 4:45 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple today announced it has nearly doubled the number of suppliers that have committed to run their Apple-specific production on 100 percent renewable energy, bringing the total number to 44. The list of newly committed suppliers includes, among others, Gorilla Glass maker Corning, Face ID module provider Finisar, A-series chipmaker TSMC, Apple Watch manufacturer Quanta Computer, AirPods assembler Luxshare, and iPhone assemblers Foxconn, Pegatron, and Wistron. Apple now expects to add five gigawatts of renewable energy to its supply chain by 2020, exceeding its goal of four gigawatts in that timeframe. Apple says that manufacturing makes up 74 percent of its carbon footprint. To address this, Apple and its suppliers have invested in or procured a mix of clean energy technology, including wind and solar. Apple has also further expanded its supplier education and support initiatives. Apple also announced that it has allocated all of its $2.5 billion in green bonds, the largest amount of any U.S. corporation. Through this, the company says it has contributed to 40 environmental initiatives around the world, including projects Apple has created to cover its entire electricity load. Apple's Green Bonds also support environmental research and innovation. Projects include solar rooftops in Japan, an aquifer to conserve water in Oregon, and the creation of a custom alloy made of 100 percent recycled aluminum that is now found in the latest MacBook Air and Mac mini. A year ago, Apple announced that its global facilities, including retail stores, offices, and
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Apple's Latest 'Shot on iPhone XS' Video Features Toronto Maple Leafs Stars Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner

Wednesday April 10, 2019 9:14 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple has shared a new "Shot on iPhone XS" video featuring Toronto Maple Leafs stars Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on its YouTube channel in the U.S. and Canada, just in time for the start of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs tonight. In the short clip, Matthews films a day in the life of Marner as the teammates travel, practice, greet fans, and more. The Maple Leafs are set to face the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on NBCSN and CBC. The playoffs begin tonight with ten teams hitting the ice, including the President's Trophy winning Tampa Bay Lightning versus the Columbus Blue Jackets. Earlier this year, while in nearby San Jose for the 2019 NHL All-Star Game, Matthews joined NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid, and Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller at Apple's Infinite Loop campus to discuss how technology is improving the game of hockey.
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macOS 10.15 Expected to Feature Standalone Music and Podcasts Apps and Redesigned Books App

Wednesday April 10, 2019 7:07 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The next major release of macOS will feature standalone Music and Podcasts apps alongside Apple's promised TV app coming to the Mac this fall, according to 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo, who has discovered icons for the apps. Rambo says he has confirmed the plans with sources familiar with the matter. Image via 9to5Mac The report also claims that the existing Books app on Mac will be redesigned to look more like the Apple News app on Mac. Like the Apple News, Home, Stocks, and Voice Memos apps on macOS Mojave, Rambo says the new Music, Podcasts, and TV apps will be built with Apple's so-called Marzipan developer tools, which allow for a single app to be designed to run across iPhone, iPad, and Mac with a similar codebase. Despite the standalone Music and Podcasts apps, Rambo says iTunes will stick around on the next major macOS release, as it is still used for some legacy purposes like manual syncing of older iPhones, iPads, and iPods. Apple's plans to bring UIKit-based Music, Podcasts, and possibly Books apps to the Mac were first hinted at by developer Steve Troughton-Smith on Twitter last week. Apple should unveil macOS 10.15 alongside iOS 13, watchOS 6, and tvOS 13 at WWDC 2019, which kicks off on June 3 in San Jose. I am now fairly confident based on evidence I don't wish to make public at this point that Apple is planning new (likely UIKit) Music, Podcasts, perhaps even Books, apps for macOS, to join the new TV app. I expect the four to be the next wave of Marzipan apps. Grain of salt, etc— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) April 5, 2019
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Kuo: New 31.6" Apple Display in 2019 and 15-17" MacBook in 2021 to Feature Mini-LED Backlights [Updated]

Monday April 8, 2019 12:18 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to launch a trio of new products with Mini-LED backlights over the next two years, including a 31.6" display in the second or third quarter of 2019, a 10-12" iPad in late 2020 or early 2021, and a 15-17" MacBook in the first half of 2021, according to well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple's discontinued Thunderbolt Display An excerpt from Kuo's research note, obtained by MacRumors:We believe that mini LED, compared to OLED, will be a more suitable solution to offer wide-color gamut (WCG)/high-contrast/high dynamic range (HDR)/local dimming features because of its longer life and no burn-in issues for Apple's medium- and large-size products targeting at productivity positions. We forecast that Apple will respectively launch an all-new design 31.6-inch monitor, a 10–12 inch iPad and a 15–17 inch MacBook equipped with a mini LED backlight unit (BLU) in 2–3Q19, 4Q20–1Q21 and 1–2Q21.Kuo believes that the 31.6-inch display "will target a very high-end position" and feature an "all-new design." In a previous research note, Kuo predicted that Apple would launch both a 31.6-inch display and a 16-16.5" MacBook Pro in 2019, so it's not entirely clear if the 15-17" MacBook refers to a separate notebook or if Kuo now believes the 16-16.5" MacBook Pro is coming a few years later than he originally
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TSMC Paves Way for 5nm A14 Chip in 2020 iPhones

Monday April 8, 2019 8:38 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Paving the way for a 5nm-sized A14 chip in 2020 iPhones, TSMC has announced the release of its complete 5nm chip design infrastructure. TSMC's continued packaging advancements coupled with Apple's industry-leading mobile chip designs is beneficial for the performance, battery life, and thermal management of future iPhones. That will continue with the 5nm process:Compared with TSMC's 7nm process, its innovative scaling features deliver 1.8X logic density and 15% speed gain on an ARM® Cortex®-A72 core, along with superior SRAM and analog area reduction enabled by the process architecture. The 5nm process enjoys the benefits of process simplification provided by EUV lithography, and is making excellent progress in yield learning, achieving the best technology maturity at the same corresponding stage as compared to TSMC's previous nodes.TSMC's 5nm process is already in preliminary risk production and the chipmaker plans to invest $25 billion towards volume production by 2020. TSMC has been Apple's exclusive supplier of A-series chips since 2016, fulfilling all orders for the A10 Fusion chip in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the A11 Bionic chip in the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, and the A12 Bionic chip in the latest iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. TSMC's packaging offerings are widely considered to be superior to that of other chipmakers, including Samsung and Intel, so it's not surprising that its exclusivity is poised to continue with A13 chips in 2019 and A14 chips in 2020. TSMC has been gradually shrinking the size of its dies over the
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Record 83% of Surveyed U.S. Teens Own an iPhone

Monday April 8, 2019 7:28 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
iPhone continues to be the most popular smartphone among American teenagers based on a recent survey. Shutterstock A record 83 percent of U.S. teens own an iPhone as of spring 2019, according to investment bank Piper Jaffray's semiannual "Taking Stock With Teens" survey of around 8,000 high school students. Respondents were roughly 54 percent male and 46 percent female with an average age of 16.3 years. Meanwhile, 86 percent of U.S. teens expect their next smartphone to be an iPhone, matching an all-time high set in fall 2018. This metric has steadily grown in Apple's favor over the years, rising from 75 percent in spring 2016. iPhone popularity among teens is a good sign for Apple, as many of them could stick with the iPhone as an adult. Teens also become locked into the Apple ecosystem at an early age, becoming accustomed to services like iMessage, Apple Music, and iCloud as well as accessories like the AirPods and Apple Watch. The survey found that 27 percent of U.S. teens own a smartwatch, while 22 percent of respondents plan to purchase an Apple Watch within the next six months. By comparison, 20 percent of teens said they plan to purchase an Apple Watch in the next six months in the year-ago survey. Piper Jaffray divided its survey into two distinct income groups: "upper-income" with household incomes approximating $100,000 and "average-income" with household incomes approximating $55,000 based on zip code and census
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Canadian Accountant Caught Buying Nearly $7 Million Worth of iPhones and iPads With Company Credit Card

Friday April 5, 2019 8:24 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The National Post has shared the story of a Canadian accountant who was caught after buying nearly $7 million worth of iPhones and iPads with her company credit card and reselling them to the owner of a small electronics store. Ian Gavan/Getty Images Nadia Minetto, who was as an accounting manager at Mississauga-based software company Wescom Solutions, started buying thousands of Apple products with her company-issued American Express card in 2011. It had been her job to approve business expenses for all employees, so her spending went unnoticed. Over the next two and a half years, the Ontario Superior Court found that Minetto sold 5,321 iPads and 4,942 iPhones to businessman Gabriel Fung, who in turn sold them at his store Plus One Solutions in the Toronto area and to wholesalers in Hong Kong, turning a profit of just over $1 million. Fung first met Minetto after responding to her ad for an iPad on Kijiji, a popular Craigslist-like classifieds site in Canada. Their transactions eventually became more elaborate, often involving 10 to 20 devices at a time, ultimately leading to bulk shipments to the address of a virtual business set up by Fung. The scheme came to an end in July 2014, when consultant Kristine Pacy discovered spending irregularities as Wescom was contemplating becoming a publicly traded company. The court determined that at least $6,831,834 of Wescom's money was misappropriated dating back to May 2009. Minetto admitted to her actions and, in October 2014, she consented to a judgment in the amount of $6,831,834.17 plus interest. Wescom also won
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Apple Shares New 'Shot on iPhone XS' Short Film Exploring the Cuban Surfing Community

Friday April 5, 2019 7:16 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared a new "Shot on iPhone XS" video on its YouTube channel that highlights the growing surfing community in Cuba. Apple says the short film provides "a glimpse into the Cuban surf community and a new era within the island nation" and "explores the humble beginnings of the movement and how interest in surfing is building in the country." Apple also shared a behind the scenes look at the making of the video: "Ola Cubana" was shot by Zak Noyle on the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max with the aid of the Freefly Movi Cinema Robot smartphone stabilizer, FILMic Pro app, AxisGO waterproof housing, and BeastGrip universal lens adapter and rig system. The video was commissioned by Apple and directed by Nick
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Call of Duty: Black Ops III Now Available on Mac

Thursday April 4, 2019 10:35 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Aspyr today announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops III is now available on Mac, complete with 64-bit and Metal support. The same Black Ops III content for Windows is now available on Mac via the Steam store:Call of Duty: Black Ops III Multiplayer Starter Pack ($14.99): includes a multiplayer-only version of the game that has limited content. Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles Edition ($59.99): includes the full base game and the Zombies Chronicles content expansion with eight classic, fully-remastered Zombies maps. Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Deluxe Edition ($99.99): includes the full base game, Season Pass, and the Zombies Chronicles content expansion.Black Ops III is already an older title in the popular first-person shooter franchise, first released in November 2015 for Xbox, PlayStation, and Windows. Three new Call of Duty games have launched since then, including Infinite Warfare in 2016, WWII in 2017, and Black Ops IIII last year. System requirements include macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 or later, a 2.3GHz quad-core Core i5 processor or better, 8GB or RAM or more, at least 150GB of storage space, and a graphics card with at least 2GB of VRAM. Steam says Nvidia and Intel GPUs are not officially supported hardware for Black Ops III. At the time of writing, we're not seeing the Multiplayer Starter Pack available for Mac, so the complete rollout may take a bit of time
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BBEdit Returns to Mac App Store

Thursday April 4, 2019 8:53 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Bare Bones Software today announced the return of BBEdit to the Mac App Store after a nearly five year hiatus. The popular text, code, and markup editor is a free download on the Mac App Store with full features available for $3.99 per month or $39.99 per year via in-app purchase. BBEdit remains available on a perpetual license basis for $49.99 via Bare Bones Software's online store and at participating resellers. BBEdit was updated in February to become a sandboxed app, a requirement to be distributed through the Mac App Store. Sandboxing limits apps to their intended use and is a protection implemented to prevent malicious software from working. BBEdit will require explicit permission to access files and folders on the Mac. Bare Bones says BBEdit's features and capabilities are identical for all customers, whether downloaded directly from the Bare Bones Software web site or from the Mac App Store, and whether using a subscription or a perpetual license. BBEdit offers a 30-day evaluation period, during which its full feature set is available. After the evaluation period has expired, you can continue to use BBEdit in "free mode" with permanent access to editing capabilities, but not web authoring tools or other exclusive features for paying customers. BBEdit 12 features more than 300 new features and refinements since the last Mac App Store release of the software, including 64-bit support, macOS Mojave and Dark Mode support, Git integration, and much more. The Mac App Store version requires macOS Mojave 10.14.2 or later, while the direct version
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Apple Pay for Transit: Now Accepted in Singapore, NYC Testing Soon, Chicago and Portland to Integrate Fare Cards

Thursday April 4, 2019 6:48 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple Pay is launching or gaining expanded functionality at transit systems in additional cities throughout 2019, starting with Singapore today followed by Chicago, Portland, and New York City later this year. Apple Pay is now accepted on all forms of public transit that accept Mastercard credit and debit cards in Singapore, including buses and trains, enabling convenient tap-to-pay functionality with an iPhone or Apple Watch. Singapore's transit agency expects to add support for Visa cards in the second half of 2019. New York City will pilot Apple Pay on a couple of lines this spring and then roll out the functionality to additional lines throughout the rest of the year, according to TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino. The MTA appears to already be in the process of installing contactless card readers at turnstiles, with a test phase "coming soon." Woop woop Apple Pay coming soon to the subway #NYC #mta #SubWayLive #ApplePay #Metro pic.twitter.com/w2NjJN8Di5— Pratik Patel (@Pratpatell) April 3, 2019 Chicago's and Portland's transit systems already accept Apple Pay, but CTA and TriMet riders will be able to add their preloaded Ventra and Hop fare cards to the Wallet app later this year and take advantage of pre-tax commuter benefits, according to the Chicago Tribune and the Willamette Week. The payment process is similar to using Apple Pay in stores. Depending on the iPhone, that means double-pressing the home button or side button, authenticating with Touch ID or Face ID, and holding the iPhone near the card reader. Apple Watch payments are also activated by
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NHL App Now Supports CarPlay Ahead of 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Wednesday April 3, 2019 12:51 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
The National Hockey League this week updated its iPhone app with support for CarPlay, providing convenient access to live radio broadcasts of games from a vehicle's dashboard just in time for the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The app has a very simple interface that displays a list of the day's scheduled games and start times. When a game begins, options will become visible to tune in live to the home or away radio broadcasts, with no subscription or account required. The score and time remaining are also shown for games in progress. This mirrors the experience of the NHL app on iPhone, which has a headphone icon in the top-right corner for accessing radio broadcasts. That's it, really. At least for now, the CarPlay app does not feature standings, stats, news, or video, which is in the best interest of driver safety. Just like the MLB At Bat app for CarPlay, this is all about the listening experience. The 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin next Thursday, April 10. Thanks to MacRumors reader and New Jersey Devils fan Matt Donders for providing us with the screenshots
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Apple's Upcoming 'Totally Wireless' Powerbeats Pro Earphones Begin Appearing on Billboards

Wednesday April 3, 2019 9:24 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple has started marketing its Powerbeats Pro earphones ahead of their upcoming release with a pair of ads in Hollywood. A banner ad and nearby billboard reveal that the Powerbeats Pro will be "totally wireless," as expected, making them the first cord-free Beats earphones like AirPods. A photo of the ad was tipped to 9to5Mac, which earlier uncovered an image of the Powerbeats Pro and their charging case hidden in iOS 12.2 code. Image Credit: 9to5Mac CNET was first to report on Apple's plans to release cord-free Powerbeats, which will essentially be fitness-oriented AirPods, ideal for the gym, sports, running, and so forth. The website said the new Powerbeats will launch in April, and Apple's ads in Hollywood apparently confirm they are "coming soon." CNET also said the Powerbeats Pro will likely use the same H1 chip as the second-generation AirPods, potentially enabling "Hey Siri" support along with faster switching between source devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Image Credit: 9to5Mac It appears the Powerbeats Pro will be available in both black and white, but pricing remains to be seen. AirPods start at $159, while Powerbeats3 Wireless with a cord between each earbud are regularly $199.95 in the United
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Verizon's 5G Network Launches Starting in Chicago and Minneapolis

Wednesday April 3, 2019 8:38 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Verizon today announced it has turned on its commercial 5G network, starting in select areas of Minneapolis and Chicago. Verizon had originally targeted an April 11 launch, so the rollout is a week ahead of schedule. Verizon customers can access the 5G network with the Moto Z3 smartphone paired with the 5G-enabled Moto Mod accessory, providing the "world's first commercial 5G mobile service with a 5G-enabled smartphone." The carrier plans to expand the network to more than 30 cities across the U.S. by the end of 2019. Verizon says customers in Chicago and Minneapolis should expect typical download speeds of 450 Mbps, with peak speeds of nearly 1 Gbps and latency less than 30 milliseconds. Of course, speeds should improve with future upgrades. In Chicago, 5G coverage is concentrated in areas of the West Loop and the South Loop, around landmarks like Union Station, Willis Tower, The Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, and The Chicago Theatre, according to Verizon. 5G service is also available at select Verizon stores in the city. In Minneapolis, service is concentrated in the downtown area, as well as inside and around U.S. Bank Stadium. 5G service is also available around landmarks like the Minneapolis Convention Center, the Minneapolis Central Library, the Mill City Museum, Target Center, The Commons, and areas of Elliot Park. The Moto Z3 retails for $240, or 24 monthly payments of $10, while the 5G Moto Mod is available for $199.99 for a limited time. Verizon postpaid customers with any unlimited plan, including Go Unlimited, Beyond Unlimited, or
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Apple Sued Over Swollen Batteries in Apple Watches

Tuesday April 2, 2019 12:24 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
New Jersey resident Gina Priano-Keyser has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Apple this week in U.S. district court, accusing the company of fraudulent business practices and breach of warranty related to the Apple Watch, according to court documents accessed by MacRumors. Apple Watch with display popped off and swollen battery via Shawn Miller Priano-Keyser alleges that all Apple Watches up to and including Series 4 models are prone to a defect that results in the lithium-ion battery swelling and causing the screen to "crack, shatter, or detach from the body" of the watch "through no fault of the wearer, oftentimes only days or weeks after purchase." The plaintiff believes that Apple either knew or should have known that the Apple Watch models were defective before selling them, adding that they pose "a significant safety hazard to consumers" — a "number" of which have suffered "cuts and burns" as a result of the scratched, shattered, or detached screens. Apple has acknowledged the possibility of swollen batteries in select Apple Watch models in the past, and offered free repairs up to three years after purchase. However, the complaint alleges that the company often attributes the issue to "accidental damage" and thus "refuses to cover repairs" under warranty. Priano-Keyser states that she purchased an Apple Watch Series 3 in October 2017. In July 2018, while charging, she alleges that the screen "unexpectedly detached" from the watch's body and cracked. Her daughter "pushed the screen back into place," but the Apple Watch has been "unusable"
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Apple Pay Expands to Additional Banks in New Zealand, Spain, Germany, Poland, Denmark, and Finland

Tuesday April 2, 2019 7:35 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple Pay has expanded to more banks this week, including Westpac in New Zealand, ING in Spain, Consors Finanz and Viabuy in Germany, Bank Millennium in Poland, Arbejdernes Landsbank and Spar Nord in Denmark, and Aktia in Finland. Apple Pay has also rolled out to Monese cardholders in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Sweden, while Danske Bank has announced that it will begin supporting the iPhone-based payment service later this year. Westpac supporting Apple Pay in New Zealand is notable, as the bank has refused to partner with Apple in nearby Australia. A few months ago, after large competitor Commonwealth Bank launched Apple Pay, a Westpac spokesperson did say the bank remains "open to considering Apple Pay in the future." Apple Pay is now available to all Westpac New Zealand customers who have an eligible Mastercard debit or credit card. When customers use Apple Pay five times in the next month, Westpac will give them $10 and donate $10 to charity. Apple Pay has been gradually expanding across Europe and the Middle East, launching in Belgium and Kazakhstan in November, Germany in December, and Czech Republic and Saudi Arabia in February, and the service will soon be available in Austria, Estonia, Greece, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Romania.
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Toyota Continues CarPlay Rollout With New 2020 Yaris Hatchback

Tuesday April 2, 2019 5:40 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Toyota this week announced that CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard features in its all-new 2020 Yaris Hatchback in the United States. The subcompact vehicle is equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen display protruding above the dashboard, complete with CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and SiriusXM. As in other Toyota vehicles, CarPlay remains a wired implementation, with two USB ports for connecting an iPhone to the system with a Lightning cable. Toyota was a longtime CarPlay holdout, but it now offers Apple's platform in the 2019 and later Avalon, Camry, Corolla Hatchback, C-HR, RAV4, and Sienna as well as the 2020 Corolla, Tacoma, Tundra, Sequoia, 4Runner, Supra, and now the Yaris Hatchback. Toyota has yet to add CarPlay to the Yaris sedan. CarPlay provides convenient access to frequently used iPhone apps such as Phone, Messages, Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, Apple Music, and Spotify directly from the dashboard. The platform was introduced in 2014 and is now offered in over 500 vehicle models in the United States, according to Apple. The new Yaris Hatchback is essentially a rebadged Mazda2, in line with the Yaris sedan. Pricing and availability have yet to be
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