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.



Apple Denies Report Claiming Chinese Spies Planted Microchips in iCloud Servers

Thursday October 4, 2018 6:10 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Bloomberg Businessweek today reports that around three years ago, the Chinese military began inserting microchips on Supermicro server motherboards while they were being manufactured in China, providing the Chinese government with a stealth doorway into any network that used the tampered hardware. The report cites an official who said investigators found the attack eventually affected nearly 30 companies, including Apple and Amazon, along with a major bank and government contractors in the United States. The microchip was placed on the motherboards in a way that allowed it to inject its own code or alter the order of the instructions the CPU was meant to follow, according to the report. One government official said China's goal was "long-term access to high-value corporate secrets and sensitive government networks." No consumer data is known to have been stolen, according to the report, but the extent of the attack appears to be unclear. Apple was a longtime Supermicro customer, with plans to order more than 30,000 of its server motherboards in two years for its global network of data centers, which power services like the App Store and Siri.Documents seen by Businessweek show that in 2014, Apple planned to order more than 6,000 Supermicro servers for installation in 17 locations, including Amsterdam, Chicago, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York, San Jose, Singapore, and Tokyo, plus 4,000 servers for its existing North Carolina and Oregon data centers. Those orders were supposed to double, to 20,000, by 2015.The report claims Apple had around 7,000 of the
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When to Expect Apple's Rumored October Event Based on Prior Years

Wednesday October 3, 2018 10:01 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
With last month's iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4 event in the rearview mirror, we can now turn our attention to Apple's roadmap for the remainder of the 2018 calendar year. If rumors are any indication, we'll likely be headed back to Cupertino this month for an October event. iPad Pro with Face ID concept by Álvaro Pabesio Apple has yet to announce any October event, to be clear, but it's always fun to speculate about possible dates based on years prior. Apple has hosted an October event in six of the past eight years, with 2015 and 2017 the exceptions. All but one of the October events have focused on the Mac, iPad, or both. The sole exception is the October 4, 2011 event, when Apple introduced the iPhone 4S with Siri. Apple didn't host a September event in 2011, however, so the October 4 keynote can be viewed as a bit-late iPhone event that year. 2011 aside, October events have always fallen in the second half of the month, between October 16 and October 27. This year, there's a good chance that any potential event would take place in the latter half of the month as well. A big reason is that Google is hosting an event next Tuesday, October 9 in New York City, where it is expected to unveil its Pixel 3 smartphones. Apple typically hosts events on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, but all of those days next week would be in close proximity to Google's event. Apple certainly doesn't need to play friendly with Google's event, but it probably wouldn't want to wreak travel havoc on the media, who would be forced to fly from New York to
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DxOMark: iPhone XS Max is 'Surefire Option' With 'One of the Best Smartphone Cameras Ever'

Wednesday October 3, 2018 7:12 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
DxOMark today published the results of its in-depth analysis of the iPhone XS Max's rear camera. Apple's flagship smartphone achieved an overall score of 105 points, trailing only the Huawei P20 Pro at 109 in the site's all-time rankings. Note that the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max have identical camera specs, so this review applies equally to the iPhone XS. In its testing, DxOMark found the iPhone XS Max to have "excellent" photo and video quality in bright light, with a "very wide dynamic range and good detail." In terms of photo quality, they found exposure in outdoor images "tends to be spot on," with high levels of detail and pleasant colors. The review adds that Apple's new Smart HDR feature generates images with "very good target exposure and a wide dynamic range in all conditions." Backlit indoor scene shot on iPhone XS Max Backlit indoor scene shot on iPhone X Achieving a video score of 96, DxOMark said the iPhone XS Max shows "outstanding video quality in bright light." DxOMark concludes that the iPhone XS Max has "one of the best mobile cameras" it has ever tested, with noticeable improvements in many areas over last year's iPhone X. Their review praises the iPhone XS Max camera as being "very reliable overall" and "consistently delivering good results." In lower light, however, DxOMark found that noise becomes "a little more intrusive than with other high-end phones," adding that the iPhone XS Max's zoom capabilities lag somewhat behind the competition — specifically, the Huawei P20 Pro. Beyond that, they say the device is a
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Apple Facing Shortage of 2014 and Mid 2015 5K iMac Displays, Offering Free Delayed Repairs or $600 Off a New Model

Tuesday October 2, 2018 8:34 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple has notified Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers that its inventory of displays for Late 2014 and Mid 2015 models of the 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display is constrained until mid to late December, according to an internal service document obtained by MacRumors today. As a result, if a customer with one of those iMac models requires a display repair due to accidental damage, Apple has instructed its service providers to offer a free repair if the customer is willing to wait until mid to late December. If a customer is unable to wait, Apple will offer a functionally equivalent 2017 model 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display to be paid for by the customer, minus a $600 or local equivalent discount. The Late 2014 or Mid 2015 iMac must be returned to Apple — the customer will never get it back. For example, if a customer takes a base model Late 2014 5K iMac with a damaged display to an Apple Store in the United States, and declines to wait until December for a repair, the Genius Bar is instructed to offer the customer a base model 2017 5K iMac for $1,199, down from its original price of $1,799. Note that the 2017 models will be Customer Replacement Units, or CRUs, but it's unclear if they will be refurbished or brand new. In order to qualify, the iMac must be out-of-warranty. If the iMac is still covered by AppleCare+ or Apple's standard one-year warranty, Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers are instructed to proceed with a standard repair. Note that only Late 2014 and Mid 2015 models are eligible — no others.
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Apple Business Chat Expands Beyond United States to 10 Countries and 30 More Brands

Tuesday October 2, 2018 6:33 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple Business Chat, a platform for businesses to provide customer service through iMessage, is now available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, Japan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The feature launched in the United States earlier this year. The international expansion coincides with 30 additional businesses adopting Apple Business Chat around the world today, adding to 15 brands in the United States that have been using the platform, which remains in beta. For example, luxury fashion brand Burberry is integrating with Apple Business Chat worldwide to enable clients to check availability on items nearby, ask questions about the size and fit of clothing and accessories, and get help placing an order. Customers can also inquire about special events like fashion shows. Hotel chain Four Seasons is expanding its adoption of Apple Business Chat to reach 88 properties across the globe with Four Seasons Chat's capabilities to communicate with real people at each property in more than 100 languages, with response times averaging 90 seconds or less. The full list of brands launching Apple Business Chat today: North America1-800 Contacts DIRECTV NOW Fairmont Hotels, including the Claremont Club & Spa in Berkeley Kimpton Hotels Freshly Mall of America Macerich malls, including Scottsdale Fashion Square and Santa Monica Place Men's Wearhouse Jos A. Bank Overstock.com Quicken Loans West Elm Hendrick Automotive Group Lithia Group SnapTravel (US & Canada)WorldwideBurberry (Worldwide) matchesfashion.com (UK) NH
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Three Universities in U.S. Launch Contactless Student ID Cards on iPhone and Apple Watch

Tuesday October 2, 2018 5:06 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Following a preview at WWDC 2018, Apple today announced that students at three universities in the United States can now add their student ID cards to Apple Wallet to get around campus using just an iPhone or Apple Watch. Namely, starting today, students at Duke University, the University of Alabama, and the University of Oklahoma can now add their ID card to the Wallet app on iOS 12 and watchOS 5 and use it to pay quickly and easily for laundry, coffee or lunch, and even get into their dorms, the gym, or the school library. Apple says Johns Hopkins University, Santa Clara University, and Temple University will roll out the capability by the end of this school year. Students simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the reader anywhere physical student ID cards are accepted — on and off campus. An optional Express Mode bypasses the need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode, allowing for the quickest entry possible to buildings around
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Apple Music and 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' Partner on New Season of 'Up Next' Performances Featuring Emerging Artists

Monday October 1, 2018 8:00 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple Music is partnering with ABC's late night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" for a series of live performances by emerging artists, as part of a second season of its "Up Next" program introduced last year, according to Variety. "Up Next" artist 6LACK performs on The Late Late Show with James Corden In addition to the live performances on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, the partnership will include the creation of a custom content package for each emerging artist or group, including production of a live EP and a filmed interview with DJ Zane Lowe for Beats 1, the official radio station of Apple Music. The first group to be featured will be K-Pop dance act NCT 127, who are scheduled to perform next Monday, October 8. As part of its "Up Next" program, Apple has highlighted one emerging artist per month with a featured banner in the "Browse" tab of Apple Music. Promoted content has ranged from short videos and documentaries to playlists and EPs. The video content is usually promoted on YouTube and Twitter as well. The first season of "Up Next" featured Grammy-nominated artists Khalid, 6LACK, and Daniel Caesar, in addition to Latin sensation Bad Bunny, Aria-winning Amy Shark, Billie Eilish, Greta Van Fleet, Stefflon Don, Sigrid, and others. Some of the artists performed live on The Late Late Show with James
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Google Maps on iPhone Getting New Commuting Features and Apple Music Integration This Week

Monday October 1, 2018 7:06 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Google Maps will soon feature an all-new Commute tab that provides one-tap access to live traffic and transit information. The new tab will tell you if your commute is going to be a normal one, or if you'll need to budget extra time due to things like an accident or heavy traffic. Google is introducing support for mixed-mode commutes that involve both driving and public transit, with helpful information along each leg of the trip. In addition, transit riders in 80 regions worldwide will be able to see exactly where their bus or train is in real time on the map. Starting in Sydney, Australia, Google Maps will also indicate how full the next bus or train is. Google says the latter feature will be coming to more cities around the globe soon. Last, Google says it is making Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play Music playback controls accessible within Google Maps. The new features will start rolling out globally on iOS and Android this
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Apple's Free 'Everyone Can Create' Music, Drawing, Photos, and Video Guides Now Available on Apple Books

Monday October 1, 2018 6:28 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple today announced that its Everyone Can Create curriculum is now available in English on Apple Books for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Apple says additional languages will be available by the end of 2018. Everyone Can Create is designed to allow teachers to easily incorporate creativity into their existing lesson plans in any subject, including language arts, math, science, history, social studies, and coding. The series of guides teach students to develop ideas through drawing, music, video, and photos on iPad. Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller:We believe Apple technology can help unleash every child's creative genius. Working closely with teachers, we have built the Everyone Can Create curriculum to help bring creative expression and the arts into the classroom, and to help students stay engaged through creativity and ultimately be more successful.Apple says that, since releasing a preview of Everyone Can Create in March, more than 350 schools around the world have adopted the curriculum. Apple Stores are also using Everyone Can Create in their Teacher Tuesday sessions. 504 stores in 24 countries have already taught over 5,000 hands-on Teacher Tuesday sessions on topics including coding and app design, video and music creation, and creative visual presentations, according to Apple. Everyone Can Create includes four student guides for drawing, music, video, and photos, available for free in Apple Books. A companion teacher guide helps bring these projects to life, with 300 lesson ideas across media, projects, and
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Some iPhone XS and XS Max Units Won't Start Charging While Screen is Turned Off [Fix Coming in iOS 12.1]

Saturday September 29, 2018 1:38 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
A number of iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max owners in the Apple Support Communities and MacRumors Forums report that the devices fail to start charging when a Lightning cable is plugged in while the screen is turned off. As with many crowdsourced issues, experiences vary. In most cases, the iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max begins charging once the user wakes the device by tapping or raising the screen. However, some users report having to both wake the iPhone and disconnect and reconnect the Lightning cable to get a charge. In rarer cases, the iPhone stops responding entirely at some point after a Lightning cable is plugged in while the screen is turned off. Lewis Hilsenteger demonstrated the issue on his popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy today by plugging a Lightning cable into one iPhone X, four iPhone XS, and four iPhone XS Max units. While the iPhone X began to charge, it appears two of the iPhone XS units and three of the iPhone XS Max units did not. Unbox Therapy's video uses the hashtag #ChargeGate Affected customers have documented the issue in at least a dozen discussion threads across the web, including the Apple Support Communities, MacRumors Forums, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, and other forums and platforms. It's unclear how widespread the issue is at this time, but not everyone is affected. Some users have speculated the issue could be related to USB Restricted Mode, introduced in iOS 11.4.1, which prevents an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from communicating with USB accessories via the Lightning connector if one hour or longer has passed since the
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Front Camera Lens on Future iPhones Could Be Hidden With Special 'Pure Black' Coating

Friday September 28, 2018 7:58 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
iPhone camera lens supplier Largan Precision is developing a special black coating for front-facing smartphone camera lenses, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst at Chinese investment firm GF Securities. Pu's research note, shared by Taiwanese publications Economic Daily News and MoneyDJ, claims that one or two smartphone makers could adopt the technology as early as 2020. Given that Largan already has a relationship with Apple, it is speculated that the special coating could be applied to future iPhones. A translated version of the Economic Daily News report says the special coating would allow the front camera lens to "completely disappear." A translation of the MoneyDJ report says the coating will be "pure black," eliminating the "small spots" like those visible in the notch on the iPhone X and newer. The front camera lens already blends into the notch pretty well on iPhones, but it is visible from certain angles and lighting conditions. The special coating would presumably make the lens completely invisible to the eye. Apple design chief Jony Ive has long dreamed of an iPhone that resembles a single sheet of glass, and hiding the front camera lens would be yet another step towards that goal, even if it sounds like an insignificant change. This is the first time we've heard this rumor, however, so treat it with some
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iPhone XR Receives FCC Approval Ahead of October 19 Pre-Orders

Thursday September 27, 2018 8:25 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple received approval from the FCC today to sell the iPhone XR in the United States, ahead of pre-orders next month. Apple can now remove the following fine print from the iPhone XR product page on its website, although it has yet to do so:iPhone XR has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. iPhone XR is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained.iPhone XR pre-orders begin Friday, October 19, with the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability starting a week later, on Friday, October 26. The colorful device starts at $749 in the United States. With a $250 lower price point, the iPhone XR doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of the iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max. Some of the trade-offs include an LCD rather than OLED display, an aluminum instead of stainless steel frame, and a single rather than dual rear camera. Read our full comparison. Nevertheless, the iPhone XR has the same A12 Bionic chip as the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, and its advertised battery life is longer than both of those devices. It also has a nearly edge-to-edge display with a notch, Face ID, a glass back, wireless charging, Portrait Mode with Depth Control, and Smart HDR. Given its many similarities to the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, priced from $999 and $1,099 respectively, many tech reviewers have suggested waiting for the less-expensive iPhone XR. Orders begin in three weeks. As far as FCC approval is concerned, it is a routine step before the launch of any new
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Five Apple Stores to Reopen This Saturday With Modernized Designs

Thursday September 27, 2018 8:09 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple has announced that five of its retail stores across the United States and Australia will reopen this Saturday, September 29. Four of the stores have moved to new locations, while one has been renovated. Apple Scottsdale Fashion Square via The Arizona Republic/Storeteller Apple Lehigh Valley: An expanded Apple Store is opening in the outdoor section of Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, near Allentown, on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time. Apple Deer Park: An expanded Apple Store is opening in the outdoor Deer Park Town Center shopping complex in Deer Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time. Apple Scottsdale Fashion Square: A new Apple Store opens at the Scottsdale Fashion Square shopping mall in Scottsdale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time. Apple's nearby store at Biltmore Fashion Park will be permanently closed after Friday. Apple Green Hills: Apple has renovated its store at The Mall at Green Hills in Nashville, Tennessee. The store reopens in its existing location on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time. Apple Robina: A new Apple Store is opening in the Robina Town Centre shopping mall in Robina, Australia, roughly 50 miles south of Brisbane along the Gold Coast, on Saturday at 9:00 a.m. local time. Apple's existing location in the mall will be permanently closed after Friday. Apple has been modernizing its chain of over 500 retail stores since 2015, as part of an initiative led by Apple's retail chief Angela Ahrendts and design chief Jony Ive. The remodeled stores often gain
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Jaguar and Land Rover Set to Begin Offering CarPlay and Android Auto

Wednesday September 26, 2018 8:12 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Jaguar and Land Rover will soon offer CarPlay and Android Auto in both new and existing vehicles in the United States. A spokesperson for the brands confirmed to MacRumors that, from the 2019 model year forward, all Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles equipped with its InControl Touch Pro or Touch Pro Duo infotainment systems will be available with an optional smartphone connectivity package including CarPlay and Android Auto. Jaguar and Land Rover say the smartphone connectivity package will be an optional installation in new vehicles, either at the factory or port-of-entry, at a cost of $280 and up depending on the model and trim level. There's also good news for existing owners of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles with an InControl Touch Pro or Touch Pro Duo infotainment system, as the spokesperson confirmed a retroactive update with CarPlay and Android Auto functionality will soon be available at authorized dealerships in the United States. The spokesperson was not able to provide an exact date when new vehicles with CarPlay and Android Auto will arrive to U.S. dealerships, or exact availability of the retroactive update, but did note the rollout should be imminent. The retroactive update appears to already be rolling out to select Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles in the United Kingdom. 2018 has been a successful year for CarPlay adoption, with Toyota and Lexus, Mazda, and now Jaguar and Land Rover beginning to offer the Apple software platform as a preinstalled option. Apple's website says CarPlay is now available in over 400 vehicle models in the United
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Apple's Special Version of iTunes That Still Has an App Store Currently Incompatible With macOS Mojave

Wednesday September 26, 2018 7:02 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple removed the App Store from iTunes. Soon after, however, Apple quietly released a special edition of iTunes that retains access to the App Store for "certain business partners" who "might still need to use iTunes to install apps." Apple provides a download page on its website for the special edition of iTunes, which originally had a version number of 12.6.3. Two updates have since been released, including version 12.6.4 and the current version 12.6.5. As brought to our attention by a MacRumors reader, and confirmed by our own testing, however, iTunes 12.6.5 fails to install on Mac systems updated to the public release of macOS Mojave this week. It also appears that the previous 12.6.3 and 12.6.4 versions do not function properly on macOS Mojave. It's unclear if Apple does not plan on supporting the special edition of iTunes on macOS Mojave, or simply hasn't updated it yet. In the meantime, Apple Configurator can be used to mass-deploy apps on iOS devices from a
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Apple Watch Series 4 Expected to Gain Second Manufacturer Following 'Much Better Than Expected' Demand

Wednesday September 26, 2018 4:56 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Taiwanese manufacturer Compal Electronics will begin mass production of Apple Watch Series 4 models in November, according to industry sources cited by supply chain-focused publication DigiTimes. Compal will share orders with fellow Taiwanese manufacturer Quanta Computer, which has reportedly reached its maximum capacity for Apple Watch Series 4 production following "much better than expected demand" for the latest models, according to Apple analyst extraordinaire Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo also said Compal will be added as a second supplier of Apple Watch Series 4 models, which entails final assembly of the wearable. Kuo believes Apple Watch shipments from suppliers to Apple will fall between 18 million and 19.5 million units in 2018. Apple does not disclose Apple Watch sales, grouping the device under its broad "Other Products" category in its earnings reports, alongside the Apple TV, AirPods, HomePod, and so forth. Apple Watch is the world's most popular smartwatch by many metrics, including market share and revenue. In fact, Apple says the Apple Watch is the world's most popular watch of any kind, having surpassed Rolex. Many models of the Apple Watch Series 4 ordered on Apple.com today are estimated to be delivered in late October in the United States, lending credence to strong demand, limited supply, or some combination of the two. With a second supplier coming on board in November, availability should
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Apple Watch Series 4 Models Have Nearly 20% Less Battery Capacity Despite Same 'Up to 18 Hours' Battery Life

Tuesday September 25, 2018 1:03 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Earlier this week, iFixit completed a teardown of an Apple Watch Series 4 that said the 44mm model has roughly four percent more battery capacity, but that was compared to a 38mm-sized Apple Watch Series 3 model. An eagle-eyed MacRumors reader has since pointed us towards Apple's Product Information Sheet, which contains battery capacities measured in watt-hours for several products, including Apple Watch Series 4 models. Apple appears to disclose this information for legal and safety reasons. Based on Apple's document, Apple Watch Series 4 models actually have less battery capacity than the equivalent Series 3 models:Apple Watch Series 3 (42mm): 1.34 watt-hours Apple Watch Series 4 (44mm): 1.12 watt-hours Apple Watch Series 3 (38mm): 1.07 watt-hours Apple Watch Series 4 (40mm): 0.86 watt-hoursMore specifically, the new 44mm Series 4 models have approximately 16.5 percent less battery capacity than the previous large-size 42mm Series 3 models. Likewise, 40mm Series 4 models have approximately 19.7 percent less battery capacity than the previous small-size 38mm Series 3 models. Despite having smaller batteries, Apple says Series 4 models get the same all-day battery life of up to 18 hours that Series 3 models are rated for. We reached out to Apple in hopes of an explanation, but we have yet to receive a response. What we do know is that Apple Watch Series 4 models use a new display technology named LTPO that improves power efficiency. The new Apple S4 system-in-a-package also has more efficient cores, so they presumably consume less power as well. Other
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VMware Fusion 11 Released With Support for macOS Mojave, 18-Core iMac Pro, and More

Tuesday September 25, 2018 8:59 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
VMware has released Fusion 11, the latest version of its virtualization software, with full support for macOS Mojave and the latest Mac hardware, including the 18-core iMac Pro and the 2018 MacBook Pro with a six-core Intel Core i9. VMware Fusion, like rival software Parallels Desktop, can run hundreds of operating systems, ranging from the latest Windows 10 versions to Linux distributions like Ubuntu, directly on the desktop of a Mac. VMware says Fusion 11 delivers many new features and platform enhancements, including an updated user interface. A new Application Menu allows users to quickly switch between virtual machines, or create a new one; change view modes, settings, and snapshots; or launch Windows apps with a single click. Fusion 11 and Fusion 11 Pro both default to Apple's Metal graphics rendering engine on supported hosts, with added DirectX 10.1 compatibility. The new version also allows for customizable Touch Bar controls on the latest MacBook Pro models. There are also many under-the-hood performance improvements, particularly with Virtual NVMe devices. Users can change their virtual disk type to NVMe to increase performance on Macs equipped with SSD storage. Meanwhile, security fixes and architectural changes have been made to mitigate threats like Spectre and Meltdown. VMware details other new features, including a new Finder integration at the top of the VM Window, on its website. Fusion 11 and Fusion 11 Pro are available today for $79.99 and $159.99 respectively via VMware's website. Upgrade licenses for Fusion 11 and Fusion 11
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Qualcomm Accuses Apple of Stealing LTE Modem Trade Secrets and Giving Them to Intel [Updated]

Tuesday September 25, 2018 7:17 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Qualcomm has accused Apple of stealing confidential information and trade secrets, and passing them on to rival chipmaker Intel, according to a court document filed Monday and reported by several media outlets. For background, Qualcomm agreed that Apple could have access to its source code and tools for LTE modems, but with limitations. Qualcomm believes that Apple proceeded to share the information with Intel to help improve its LTE modems, allowing Apple to stop using Qualcomm's modems in the latest iPhones. Axios's Ina Fried shared an excerpt from Qualcomm's complaint: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.Qualcomm already sued Apple in November 2017 based on suspicions the iPhone maker was using the chipmaker's trade secrets in wrongful ways. Now, Qualcomm is more confident and direct about its accusation. Don Rosenberg, General Counsel of Qualcomm, in a statement provided to MacRumors:Once again Apple has flouted its contractual commitments and misappropriated Qualcomm's property rights in an effort to improve its performance and increase its profits. The code, tools and design details of Qualcomm's modem technology which are the subjects of
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DisplayMate: iPhone XS Max Has Best Smartphone Display Ever

Monday September 24, 2018 9:49 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
iPhone XS Max has the best smartphone display ever, according to display testing and calibration firm DisplayMate Technologies. iPhone XS Max has a number of notable improvements over the original iPhone X, including higher peak brightness and better color accuracy, and matches or sets smartphone display records in a number of areas, according to Dr. Raymond M. Soneira, President of DisplayMate Technologies. For example, DisplayMate says the iPhone XS Max has a peak full-screen brightness of up to 660 nits for the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts, which improves screen visibility in high ambient lighting conditions. By comparison, the iPhone X achieved a peak full-screen brightness of 634 nits in its year-ago tests. DisplayMate measured the iPhone XS Max's screen reflectance to be 4.7 percent, close to the lowest that it has ever measured for a smartphone. As a result of this high brightness and low reflectance, the iPhone XS Max has one of the best contrast ratings in high ambient light on any smartphone it has ever tested. DisplayMate provides an extensive overview of the iPhone XS Max display, concluding that it is a "very impressive top tier smartphone display."Based on our extensive Lab Tests and Measurements the iPhone XS Max receives our DisplayMate Best Smartphone Display Award, earning DisplayMate's highest ever A+ grade by providing considerably better display performance than other competing smartphones.Of note, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max use the same display technologies. DisplayMate's iPhone XS Max OLED Display Technology Shoot-Out article is
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