Tim Hardwick
Tim is an Editor at MacRumors. His writing has appeared in over 30 newsstand print and online publications covering a range of topics. Originally from Liverpool, England, Tim can sometimes be found accessing a personal wi-fi hotspot on the Yorkshire Moors or from Edinburgh Castle.
Tim Hardwick's Articles

Bill Gates Says His Preference for Android Over iPhone is Due to Pre-Installed Software
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates this week participated in his first meeting on Clubhouse, the increasingly popular invite-only conversation app, where he fielded a range of questions as part of an ongoing book tour. Gates was interviewed by journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, and given that the Clubhouse app is currently only available on iOS, naturally one of the questions that came up was...
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iPhone 12 Series Still Strong Despite Weaker Demand, Says JP Morgan Analyst
Quarterly shipments of Apple's iPhone 12 series continue to enjoy a year-on-year increase, despite weakening demand for the devices, according to JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee (via AppleInsider).
In an investor note from the analyst, Chatterjee decreased his 2021 iPhone shipment expectations from 236 million units to 230 million units, but noted that this number was still equivalent to...

Telegram Gains New Auto-Delete Options, Expiring Invite Links, and More
Telegram Messenger is bringing new feature additions to its chat app, including new options for auto-delete messages, expiring invite links, and unlimited group numbers.
Like WhatsApp and Signal, auto-delete messages have been a staple Telegram feature for some time, but with the latest update, uses can enable an auto-delete timer that applies to all Telegram chats, so that messages are...

Apple Dominated Japan's Smartphone Market in 2020
According to research firm IDC (via GizChina), Apple dominated the smartphone market in Japan over the fourth quarter of 2020, with the iPhone brand accounting for over half of all phone sales in the country.
As per the report, the mobile market reached 11.432 million shipments in Q4 2020, and 52.6% of all smartphone sales in Japan were iPhones, substantially contributing to a 10.6%...

Overcast Podcast Player Update Brings Overhauled Apple Watch App, Improved Siri Support
In the latest update to the popular podcast player, Overcast has overhauled its Apple Watch app to be more intuitive and bring several features that were previously only accessible on Overcast for iPhone.
The newly designed watch interface ditches the horizontally scrolling panels to reveal features, and instead uses a single screen providing button access to settings, podcast library, and now ...

UK Consumer Watchdog Sues Qualcomm for Allegedly Breaching Competition Law
Around 29 million Britons who own an Apple or Samsung phone could be entitled to a collective £480m payout if a landmark legal claim against U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm is successful. Consumer watchdog Which? is suing the chipmaker for allegedly breaching U.K. competition law by taking advantage of its dominance in the patent licensing and chip markets.
As reported by the BBC, Which? alleges ...

Paramount+ Channel to Cost $9.99 a Month Ad-Free or $4.99 With Ads
Paramount+, the CBS All Access streaming service rebrand that launches March 4, will cost $4.99 per month with ads in the U.S. (less than the $5.99 charged for CBS All Access), or $9.99 without ads and with additional sports, news and live TV content. ViacomCBS executives announced the pricing tiers in a virtual investor event held on Thursday, and also revealed that the service will be...

New Report Lends Credence to Rumors of Foldable Google Pixel Phone Launching This Year
With more and more Android smartphone vendors coming out with their take on the foldable phone concept, and Apple rumors swirling about a possible future foldable iPhone, Google appears keen to get in on the act as soon as this year with its first foldable Pixel device.
MacRumors concept render According to a new report by The Elec, Samsung is in the process of developing in-folding foldable...

Eve and Coulisse Join Forces to Launch First Thread-Enabled HomeKit Blinds
Dutch company Coulisse is working with Eve Systems to launch a range of HomeKit-compatible smart window covering motors. According to HomeKit News, the new range will include wireless motors to work with roller blinds, Venetian blinds, cellular shades and curtains. Notably, they will also be the first product of their kind to support the Thread wireless protocol, of which Apple is a...

Instagram Announces New Features to Help Support Users Affected By Eating Disorders
Instagram is launching new features to help support users on its platform who may be affected by negative body image or an eating disorder, the company has announced. Previously, Instagram had limited its policy to obscuring content that may trigger users suffering from an eating disorder, but the new policy adds to this by aiming to surface more expert-backed resources when people search...

Disney+ Launches Adult-Friendly 'Star' Channel for International Subscribers
Disney+ today launched its adult-friendly Star channel for existing subscribers in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The Star brand includes content from Disney Television Studios, FX, 20th Century Studios, and 20th Television that's aimed more at grown-ups, as opposed to the all-ages content that's currently available on Disney+.
Star is the sixth brand to launch on Disney+,...

Facebook Reverses Australian Ban on News Sharing
Facebook has announced that it will restore the ability for users in Australia to share news content on the social platform, following changes to the country's media code.
The company banned all news sharing last week in response to a proposed Media Bargaining Law, which aims to level the playing field between Australian news media businesses and digital platforms in terms of bargaining...

Huawei Unveils $2,800 Foldable 'Mate X2' Smartphone With Dual-Screen Redesign
Chinese smartphone company Huawei has today unveiled its latest foldable smartphone, the Mate X2, at a special event in China.
The successor to 2019's Mate X, the phone has received a radical redesign and now features a large uninterrupted 8-inch screen that folds inwards, rather than having the main display on the exterior, as with the original device.
The main screen uses a 180Hz...

WhatsApp Reveals What Happens to Users Who Don't Agree to Upcoming Privacy Policy Changes
WhatsApp has revealed how it will gradually limit the features available to accounts held by users who do not accept the platform's impending privacy policy changes, due to come into effect on May 15.
WhatsApp's new banner explaining the privacy policy changes According to an email seen by TechCrunch to one of its merchant partners, WhatsApp said it will "slowly ask" users who have not yet...

Apple Maps Expands Turn-by-Turn Directions for United Arab Emirates
Apple has expanded its turn-by-turn navigation in Apple Maps for the United Arab Emirates. The app now offers more detailed directions for driving and walking, with options to book a ride through Uber also showing within the app.
Still missing for users in the UAE is public transit information, lane guidance and speed limits, although given that the addition of turn-by-turn directions is...

Bloomberg: Apple Working on MagSafe Battery Pack for iPhone 12
Apple is working on a magnetic battery pack attachment for iPhone 12, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Apple has been developing the attachment for at least a year and it has been scheduled to launch in the months following the release of the iPhone 12 line, according to people with knowledge of the product. The iPhone 12 models were introduced in October.
The battery ...

HomeKit Support Rolling Out to IKEA's TRADFRI Motion Sensor and Shortcut Button
IKEA is rolling out Apple HomeKit support for the Motion sensor and Shortcut button in its TRÅDFRI range of smart home products, according to release notes for an upcoming Gateway software update.
First spotted by Dutch blog iCulture, the next Gateway firmware version (1.13.21) coming down the line will include HomeKit support for the sensor and button, allowing the accessories to be used to ...

Bloomberg: Apple Hiring Engineers to Work on 6G Wireless Connectivity
Apple is hiring engineers to work on next-generation 6G wireless technology, based on job listings spotted by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The listings are for positions at Apple's offices in Silicon Valley and San Diego, where the company works on wireless technology development and chip design, according to Gurman's report.
"You will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to craft next...

iPhone Assembler Pegatron Acquires Land for Production Base in India
Apple supplier Pegatron says it has spent $14.2 million to buy the rights to use a plot of land for building a factory in Channai, India.
Via a DigiTimes report:
Pegatron will set up a manufacturing base on the factory site mainly for production of iPhone smartphones, with production to begin the earliest in the second half of 2021, according to industry sources, adding Pegatron plans to...

Facebook Blocks All News Sharing on Its Platforms in Australia
Facebook has followed through on its threat to ban users from sharing news on its platform in Australia, in response to proposed media laws in the country that the company claims "fundamentally misunderstand" its relationship with publishers who share news content.
The move is a retaliation to Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) proposed Media Bargaining law, which seeks...