Germany
By MacRumors Staff
Germany Articles
Apple Store's Temperature Checks May Violate EU Privacy Rules, Says German Data Protection Office
Apple has started reopening its retail stores worldwide, and is taking multiple measures to make sure customers and staff continue to stay safe during the global health crisis. One of these measures includes temperature checks for customers before they're allowed to enter one of Apple's stores using a non-contact forehead thermometer.
A data protection agency in the German state of Hesse is...
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Apple Tweaks German Speaking Voice for Siri on iPhone, iPad, and HomePod
Apple appears to have updated the speaking voice of Siri on devices in Germany, based on reports compiled by iphone-ticker.de (via ifun.de).
According to the website, several readers have reported Siri's German speech comes across as more natural and melodic than before, especially on HomePod, although the changes are subtle, with better pronunciation and different inflection depending on...
Germany Now Favors Apple-Google Contact Tracing API Over Home-Grown Solution
Germany said on Sunday it will use Apple and Google's decentralized contact tracing API, reversing course on its original intention to use its own solution to track the spread of coronavirus.
Last week, the German government said it would use its own home-grown technology for smartphone-based tracing of infections, based on a design that would hold personal data on a central server....
Apple Begins Selling Certified Refurbished 16-Inch MacBook Pro Models Internationally
Apple has been offering certified refurbished 16-inch MacBook Pro models in the United States for a couple of weeks now, but today it started selling refurb 16-inch models through its international online stores for the first time since the notebook was released in November 2019. All of the refurbished configurations are discounted by 15 percent compared to the equivalent brand new models....
Apple Pay Goes Live for Sparkasse and Commerzbank Customers in Germany
Apple Pay came to two additional big banks in Germany today, bringing the digital payment platform to millions more people in the country just over a year since it launched there. As of this morning, customers of both Sparkasse and Commerzbank can add their Visa and Mastercard credit cards to the Wallet app. The Sparkassen-Karte Basis debit card is also compatible, but support for the...
Germany Passes Law Forcing Apple to Open Up iPhone's NFC Chip to Apple Pay Rivals, But Loophole May Exist
A parliamentary committee in Germany on Wednesday passed an amendment to an anti-money laundering law that would force Apple to open up the NFC chip in iPhones to competing mobile payment providers, according to Reuters. The report claims the law is set to come into effect early next year.
In a statement to Reuters, Apple said it was "surprised" about the sudden decision and expressed...
Apple CEO Tim Cook Continues European Tour, Talks iPhone Pricing, App Store, Apple TV+ and More in Interview
Apple CEO Tim Cook is in Europe this week, visiting local Apple employees and App Store developers and even attending an Oktoberfest celebration.
Cook was in Munich on Sunday before traveling to Berlin, where he visited the offices of Blinkist, an app that distills non-fiction books into bitesize text and audio snippets, similar to CliffsNotes.
Cook also sat down for an interview with...
Alexa Now Supports Apple Music in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Austria [Updated]
Apple Music will be available to stream on German Echo devices via Alexa from today, reports regional tech blog ifun.de.
We've not received official confirmation, but if Germany's Alexa rollout follows a similar pattern to other countries, it should mean Apple Music subscribers who own an Echo device, Amazon Fire TV, or Alexa-enabled Sonos speaker will soon be able to ask Alexa to play...
Apple Takes iPhone Privacy Marketing Campaign to Germany
Apple started underlining its privacy stance earlier this year with a billboard marketing campaign that began in Las Vegas and later came to Canada, and this week the company has extended it to Europe.
Brought to our attention by Macerkopf.de, the new billboards in both Hamburg and Berlin play on their location, while emphasizing how much importance Apple attaches to user privacy and data...
Germany Says iPhones Running iOS 13 Will Be Able to Read NFC Tags in National ID Cards and Passports
When iOS 13 arrives, iPhones will be able to read a wider range of Near Field Communication (NFC) tags, including the NFC tags often used in official documentation. Last week, The Verge reported that Japan had confirmed its national identity cards would support iPhone through a government-developed app, and now we're hearing that German authorities are also gearing up to make several forms of ID...
Powerbeats Pro Now Available to Order in UK, France, and Germany
Apple's Powerbeats Pro totally wireless earphones officially went on sale today in the United Kingdom, >France, and >Germany, as predicted. However, the fitness-focused, Beats-branded earphones are only available in black, and stock appears to be limited.
As of writing, Apple's online UK store is switching between allowing customers to add the earphones to their bag, and graying out the Add...
Powerbeats Pro Orders Begin This Friday in UK, France, and Germany
Apple's totally wireless Powerbeats Pro earphones become available to pre-order in the United Kingdom on May 31, according to a social media ad posted on the official Beats By Dre U.K. Twitter account.
The date was spotted in the small print at the end of the 15-second video short, which features British professional boxer Anthony Joshua and touts the nine hours of listening time offered by...
German Court Throws Out Latest Qualcomm Patent Case Against Apple
A German court on Tuesday threw out a new patent lawsuit filed by Qualcomm, which the U.S. company claimed was violated by the use of its chips in Apple's iPhones (via Reuters).
The regional court in the city of Mannheim dismissed the Qualcomm suit as groundless in an initial verbal decision, saying the patent in question was not violated by the installation of its chips in Apple's smartphones....
Apple Pulls iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 Models From Sale in Germany Amid Legal Battle With Qualcomm
Yesterday chipmaker Qualcomm announced that it posted €1.34 billion in security bonds required for the chipmaker to enforce a preliminary injunction on select iPhone models in Germany, after a court in the country found Apple to be infringing Qualcomm patents related to power savings technology in smartphones.
The injunction blocks the import and sale of infringing iPhone models in Germany...
Apple to Stop Selling iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 Models in Germany While Appealing Broader Sales Ban [Updated]
In a statement issued to CNBC, Apple has indicated that it plans to appeal a German court's decision to issue a preliminary injunction—aka sales ban—on select iPhone models containing chips from Intel and Apple supplier Qorvo.
In the meantime, Apple said iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models will not be available for purchase at its retail stores in Germany:Qualcomm's campaign is a desperate attempt...
German Court Issues Sales Ban on Select iPhones Violating Qualcomm Patent, Apple Plans to Appeal [Updated]
A court in Germany today ruled that some iPhone models equipped with Intel modems infringe on a Qualcomm hardware patent, and issued a preliminary injunction on those devices, according to Reuters and CNBC. However, the reports claim the ruling will not go into immediate effect if Apple appeals, and it almost certainly will.
Matthias Zigann, the judge presiding over the case, ruled that...
Apple Pay Launches in Germany
Apple Pay made its long-awaited debut in Germany this evening, allowing iPhone and Apple Watch users in the country to finally take advantage of the contactless mobile payments service if their card issuer supports it.
At launch, Apple Pay partners in Germany include American Express, Deutsche Bank, Hanseatic Bank, HypoVereinsbank, Edenred, Comdirect, Fidor Bank, and mobile banks and payment ...
Apple Pay Will Reportedly Launch in Germany This Week, Possibly Tomorrow
Apple Pay will make its long-awaited debut in Germany this week, according to German blog Macerkopf.
The report, citing unnamed sources within German banking circles, says the launch will likely occur on Tuesday with mobile bank N26 and Comdirect expected to be among the initial participating issuers in the country.
Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that Apple Pay would launch in Germany by...
Apple Pay is Set to Launch in Germany
Apple Pay is about to launch in Germany. Banks such as HVB and Bunq this morning sent out emails to customers announcing their imminent support for Apple's mobile payment system in the country.
Apple Pay is "coming soon" according to Apple's own regional German website, which lists supported banks and cards, including boon, comdirect, Edenred, Fidor Bank, Hanseatic Bank, and Vim Pay. We'll...
Apple Pay Cash Likely to Launch in Europe Imminently
Apple Pay Cash, Apple's mobile peer-to-peer payments service, could be available sooner rather than later in some European markets.
French tech blog iPhon.fr reports today that an iPhone user in France discovered screens on his new Apple Watch and iPhone XS Max overnight inviting him to set up Apple Pay Cash using a credit card issued by a French bank. Similar reports are also coming in from...
