Apple unveiled the iPad Pro earlier this week with its new A12X Bionic chipset. Based on the A12 Bionic chip found inside the iPhone XS and iPhone XR, the A12X Bionic chip features an 8-core CPU and a 7-core GPU to handle extreme multitasking load.
Apple claims the new iPad Pro is faster than 92 percent PCs out there. And if the Geekbench score of the A12X Bionic chip is anything to go by, it looks like Apple was not bluffing.
In single-core benchmarks, the A12X Bionic scores 5020 which is slightly higher than what the A12 Bionic chip inside the iPhone XS and iPhone XR manages. However, its the multi-core score where the A12X Bionic really flexes its muscles, with a score of 18,000+. This makes it significantly faster than the A12 Bionic which scores around 11,000 points.
That’s slightly slower than the Coffee Lake Core i7-8850H chip (19752 points) which powers the 2018 MacBook Pro but faster than most Core i7 desktop chips released in the last few years. For comparison, a Core i7-4770K scores around 15,000 points in Geekbench’s multi-core benchmark. A 15-inch MacBook Pro from 2017 featuring Intel’s Core i7 chip manages a multi-core score of 15731.
The benchmark scores show what a beast the iPad Pro is in terms of performance. No wonder then that Apple and Adobe were able to show a full-fledged version of Photoshop running on the iPad Pro at the launch event without any hiccups.
Given the performance improvements that Apple is able to eek out from its A-series chips every year, it does seem plausible that we will see Apple release a Mac with an A-series chip within the next couple of years.
Apple has reportedly held talks to acquire a stake in iHeartMedia. The talks are still in the preliminary stage, with no word on when and if the deal will be finalized.
iHeartMedia is hoping that Apple will take an equity stake in its business worth millions of dollars. The original report from Financial Times says that the deal could lead to a multi-million dollar partnership between the two companies rather than Apple making a direct investment.
iHeartMedia filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in March this year. Apple could use a partnership with iHeartMedia to further boost the presence of Apple Music and improve its content discovery.
Since the talks between both companies are still in preliminary stages, there’s always a possibility that it could fall through or take a completely different path with Apple acquiring iHeartMedia.
Apple has updated its vintage and obsolete list of products to include the iPhone 5 starting from October 30th last month. Apple dropped software support for the iPhone 5 with iOS 11 in 2017 itself, so it makes sense for the company to drop hardware support for the device now.
A vintage product as per Apple is one that has not been manufactured for over 5 years and less than 7 years, while an obsolete product is one that was discontinued over 7 years ago. Once a product is marked obsolete, Apple discontinues all hardware service for it with no exceptions. Apple has marked the iPhone 5 as vintage in the United States and obsolete for the rest of the world.
Apple has a distinction between vintage and obsolete products to comply with local laws of California and Turkey where OEMs are required to support their products for at least two years after marking it obsolete. However, the Turkish laws only mention iPads and Macs which is why Apple has marked the iPhone 5 as obsolete in the country as well.
This means that if you own an iPhone 5 which requires servicing, you will have to take it to an Apple Authorized service center or retail store in California to get official support from Apple. Third-party repair shops will happily repair your old iPhone 5 though and at a cheaper price as well.
Apple continues to support the iPhone 5s with iOS 12 so it is unlikely to be marked as obsolete or vintage anytime soon.
Apple will also mark the Mac Pro (mid-2012), MacBook Air (mid-2012), and 13-inch MacBook Pro (early 2013) as vintage from December 30, 2018.
Apple hosted a pretty exciting event earlier this week, marking “There’s more in the making” as one of the company’s best to date.
Just in case you weren’t able to catch the event, in person or through the livesteam hosted by Apple, then the company has your back. The full event is now published on YouTube, making it pretty easy to catch up on what happened, albeit a day later. The event itself had a nice upbeat feel to it from start to finish, which helped play into the creative feel of the whole thing. After all, Apple was announcing products it knows are used by millions of people to create things, and they appeared ready to have some fun while on stage while announcing the completely redesigned iPad Pro and the Retina display-equipped MacBook Air.
The video comes in at just over an hour and a half, which is pretty speedy considering all the things Apple announced. You can catch up with what they announced in our wrap-up of the event. We saw the Retina display MacBook Air, the all-new, all-screen iPad Pro, an all-new Apple Pencil, the new, more powerful Mac mini, and heard about Apple’s efforts with Today At Apple and its retail stores. There was even a musical performance from artist Lana Del Ray.
So, check it out right here:
Are any of Apple’s new products going to be your new product? Which one did you already preorder?
While the 2018 MacBook Air is up for preorder right now, the device won’t go on sale until Wednesday, November 7. That isn’t stopping some lucky folks from unboxing the laptop in front of a camera, though.
Similar to what we saw with Apple’s iPhones earlier this year, some individuals out there in the world were able to get their hands on Apple’s upcoming MacBook Air, and have subsequently published their unboxing videos on YouTube. At the time of publication there appears to be three videos, and we’ve included them in this post below.
The shortest video comes in at just over five minutes, while the longest is about 11 minutes. In the videos we can see quite a bit, aside from the nice new MacBook Air with its Retina display and dedicated key for Touch ID. Apple is tossing in color-matching stickers, which is certainly a change of pace after all these years of having the same stickers in the box. Otherwise, it’s about what you’d expect.
Here are the unboxing videos:
The new MacBook Air includes that Retina display, Touch ID, and also bumps up the specs when compared to the last generation model. That includes up to 256GB of built-in storage, an 8th-Gen Intel Core i5 processor, a Force Touch trackpad, third-generation butterfly keyboard, and the T2 chip for added security.
The new MacBook Air will go on sale November 7, with folks who preordered their device arriving on the same date.
While we continue to wait for the Apple AirPower wireless charging mat (that may not ever come at this point), there are several alternatives out there to consider.
That includes the launch of the newest wireless charging stand/mat from mophie, one of the more popular third-party accessory makers out there. The company has just launched the Charge Stream Desk Stand, which is part of the Charge Stream lineup of products that mophie continues to expand upon. This latest addition costs $69.95 and it’s compatible with a variety of devices that support the Qi wireless charging standard.
That means as long as you have the iPhone XS/XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, or iPhone 8, this wireless charging option should support your device. (It also supports a variety of Samsung-branded handsets, too.) It also supports Apple’s fast charging (7.5W) option, and can provide up to 10W of power upon contact. It will hold your smartphone in either portrait or landscape orientation, depending on what you prefer.
The new Desk Stand wireless charger supports charging your devices even if they’re in a lightweight case, and it features a removable charging pad if you want to keep your phone laying down while you charge it, rather than propped up. The new wireless charging stand also “comes with a QC 2.0 wall adapter and a 1.49 meter (4.9 ft.) micro USB cable with an integrated wire-management magnet”.
The new Charge Stream Desk Stand wireless charger is available beginning today for $69.95. You can click through the source link below to pick one up.
Yesterday was a busy day, but Apple managed to keep things pretty upbeat as it unveiled a variety of new devices, with at least one of them reinvigorating one of the age-old Apple questions.
The company announced the new iPad Pro lineup, a new Apple Pencil, a new Mac mini, and also made a lot of people clap when they unveiled the newest MacBook Air. Sure, the brand itself is probably enough to get people excited, especially when you add “new” in front of it. But it looks like Apple hit all the right marks to actually justify a new MacBook Air’s existence.
And then there’s the price.
Maybe it shouldn’t be all that surprising, but the new MacBook Air –with its brand new Retina display, the Touch ID sensor, and upgraded specs– isn’t cheap. It’s being marked as Apple’s entry-level computer, but it’s probably worth noting that the company is still offering up the last-generation MacBook Air with its big bezels and BB (Before Butterfly) keyboard. And considering that older model is still retailing for $999 (which seems odd, too), that “entry-level” new MacBook Air starting at $1,199 doesn’t feel so entry-level anymore.
Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, boasted that over half of folks buying Macs are new buyers, jumping onto the macOS train for the first time. That’s an impressive number! And I’m sure the company thinks its brand new MacBook Air will only spur that number a bit, making it even more impressive in the future. But that price tag may be a bit of a barrier, especially considering there are a lot of different Windows-based devices out there, with comparable specs –and sometimes even better, depending on what you’re looking for– that cost less.
The hope of a new MacBook Air having a $999 price tag was just that: hope. It doesn’t necessarily mean it was impossible, but this is Apple and . . . things aren’t cheap? Even the iPhone XR, what’s considered the “cheap iPhone” these days starts at $749. And that’s not bad! For Apple. I also think it could be possible for that phone to start at $549 and the company would see even more fly off the shelves.
But! The new MacBook Air. I’ve seen people point out that the competition’s pricing is more aggressive, and those folks aren’t wrong. I’ve also seen people keep pointing out that the new MacBook Air doesn’t have a touchscreen and those Windows devices do. I don’t understand why this is still an argument, really. If you want to use macOS then you know you aren’t using a touchscreen, right? That’s just how it is, and I don’t think Apple should be dinged for this anymore. Just having a touchscreen on a laptop doesn’t inherently make it better than one without.
Unless you really want a touchscreen on your laptop, and then you’ll be using Windows, so the price of the new MacBook Air is irrelevant anyway.
I am curious how the price point for the new MacBook Air is going to play into folks who are upgrading. In my case, I’m going to be trading in the MacBook from 2016 to pick up the new MacBook Air. Probably. I honestly haven’t decided yet. But if I do go that route than the price goes down quite a bit, which is nice.
Even if I wasn’t trading in a computer to get the new one, though, I think I’d still be considering the change. Even if the new MacBook Air is rocking an Intel Y-series processor under the hood, that will be more than good enough for me and my work load. I need a new keyboard, too, and I want that bigger display. So I’d probably be switching to the new MBA anyway.
But, how do you feel about the 2018 MacBook Air’s pricing? Do you think Apple is pricing it out of range for most potential new buyers or upgraders? Would you consider switching to Windows to save some money (and get that touchscreen!)? Or maybe we should all just switch to the iPad Pro and finally accept the tablet that replaces our laptop.
Apple is bringing its “performance management feature” to last year’s iPhone X and iPhone 8 series with its iOS 12.1 update. For the unknown, this ‘feature’ will throttle the devices as their battery performance degrades over time.
The same feature was responsible for slowing down older iPhones over time as their battery capacity degraded over time. When Apple confirmed last year that it was intentionally slowing down older iPhones, it noted that the iPhone X and iPhone 8 series were exempt from it due to hardware updates.
However, with the iOS 12.1 update, Apple is bringing the same performance management feature to the iPhone X and iPhone 8. The company has silently updated its support page to reflect the change as well.
Below is what the support page originally mentioned:
iPhone 8 and later use a more advanced hardware and software design that provides a more accurate estimation of both power needs and the battery’s power capability to maximize overall system performance. This allows a different performance management system that more precisely allows iOS to anticipate and avoid an unexpected shutdown. As a result, the impacts of performance management may be less noticeable on iPhone 8 and later. Over time, the rechargeable batteries in all iPhone models will diminish in their capacity and peak performance and will eventually need to be replaced.
And below is what the updated support page says:
Additionally, users can see if the performance management feature that dynamically manages maximum performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns is on and can choose to turn it off … This feature applies to iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus. Starting with iOS 12.1, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X include this feature, but performance management may be less noticeable due to their more advanced hardware and software design.
Thankfully, thanks to all the hue and cry that was raised last year after Apple confirmed it was intentionally slowing down older iPhones, there’s an option to turn off this “performance management feature.” This might lead your iPhone to reboot when under heavy load but it will at least ensure the performance of the device is not being throttled.
Given that the iPhone 8 and iPhone X are just over a year old, it is unlikely that their battery performance has degraded a lot. Over the next couple of years though, the batteries inside these devices will degrade noticeably which is when this ‘performance management feature’ will start rearing its ugly head.
The unthinkable has happened (and no I’m not talking about the Mac mini upgrade). Instead of just discontinuing the MacBook Air, Apple just gave it an honest-to-god update. It finally has a Retina display and the same iconic design!
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2018 MacBook Air upgrade.
Retina Display
Let’s start with the feature we were all waiting for. The new MacBook Air has a 13.3-inch display with four times the pixels. The resolution strikes in at 2560 by 1600 and packs 4 million pixels. The display doesn’t have True Tone but it has vivid colors, with 48% more color than the previous generation.
The display is still at 16:10 aspect ratio. But the iconic aluminum bezel is gone. Instead, it’s a black bezel, which is half the size it used to be.
The aluminium is made for 100% recycled material.
New Design
The MacBook Air retains the iconic wedge shape, but everything else about this design is brand new. The new MacBook Air is just 15.6 mm thick. And it weighs only 2.75 pounds. That’s a quarter of a pound lighter than the previous generation MacBook Air.
Thanks to the smaller bezels, the new MacBook Air’s footprint is 17% smaller than the previous generation.
Touch ID
The MacBook Air is the first MacBook without a Touch Bar to have a Touch ID sensor. Apple managed to squeeze it in in the function row. The Touch ID system is powered by the T2 chip. It runs the Secure Enclave and the Secure Boot. And thanks to the T2 chip, you also get access to Hey Siri functionality on the MacBook Air.
The Specs
The MacBook Air still only comes with a 1.5 GHz dual-core Core i5 processor, but that’s all you need for your day to day tasks. It’s the 8th generation chip from Intel, coupled with Intel UHD 617 graphics. You can add external graphics processors using the Thunderbolt port.
This might not seem like much but the new Intel processors should handle all the usual tasks you throw at it – watching Netflix, browsing the web, working in Excel, and more.
The default is 8 GB RAM but you can configure it to up to 16 GB.
The base model still comes with 128 GB SSD but you can configure it all the way up to 1.5 TB.
The battery life is still the same. It’s still rated for 12 hours of web browsing. But it can now last for up to 13 hours of video.
Thunderbolt USB-C Ports
The MacBook Air was the last holdout with USB-A ports. Now, it’s all gone. The MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt USB-C ports on the side, and that’s it. If you want to connect to accessories, you’ll need to use dongles.
3rd Generation Butterfly Keyboard
The same keyboard from the latest MacBook Pros and the MacBook comes to the MacBook Air. The original MacBook Air had one of the best keyboards of any laptop ever. And this new keyboard has a lot to live upto.
Of course, we know that this Butterfly mechanism isn’t the most reliable or universally loved. But Apple did recently take steps to make it harder for debris and dust to get below the keys.
The keyboard is going to be a subjective experience. You should go into the store and type on it before buying the new MacBook Air.
20% Larger Force Touch Trackpad
The old trackpad makes way for the Force Touch trackpad, which uses haptic feedback instead of a physical click mechanism. The trackpad surface is also 20% larger compared to the older model.
Louder Speakers
If you spend a lot of time watching movies on your MacBook Air, you’ll love the new speaker setup. It’s more than 25% louder and has twice the bass.
Three Color Options
Also a first for the MacBook Air range. You can choose between Space Grey, Silver and Gold finishes for the MacBook Air. The Gold looks especially good with the Air’s wedge-shaped design.
Are You Buying One?
The new MacBook Air starts at $1199 for the 128 GB SSD model. That’s $200 more than the usual MacBook Air price (but still $100 cheaper than the 12-inch MacBook). But you do get a lot for the extra money. You can pre-order it now and it starts shipping on November 7.
Are you sold on the new default MacBook for everyone? Will you easily recommend it to your friends and family? Share with us in the comments below.
Following reports of watchOS 5.1 bricking certain Apple Watch units, Apple has gone ahead and pulled the update. Many Apple Watch owners reported that their Apple Watch ended up getting bricked while trying to install the watchOS 5.1 update.
While Apple has pulled the watchOS 5.1 update, it has not made it clear what bricked Apple Watch owners need to do. Unlike the iPhone and iPad, one cannot connect their Apple Watch to a PC due to the lack of any physical port. This means that bricked Apple Watch owners will likely have to take their wearable to Apple to get it back up and running.
watchOS 5.1 adds support for 70 new emoji, a new fullscreen color watch face, and group FaceTime audio.
Apple will likely end up releasing a new build of watchOS 5.1 with this bricking issue fixed for good. If you have not already installed the watchOS 5.1 update on your Apple Watch, my recommendation would be to simply wait for Apple to release a revised build.
The new iPad Pro lineup from Apple comes with gorgeous 11-inch and 12.9-inch Liquid Retina displays. To go along with the beautiful displays, Apple has bundled some colorful new wallpapers on its new devices as well.
While the new iPad Pro is yet to hit the retail stores, the new wallpapers from the devices have been made available to download online.
In total, there are 8 high-resolution and colorful wallpapers which will look gorgeous not just on your existing iPad but also on your Mac and iPhone — particularly the iPhone X or iPhone XS. These wallpapers are a part of the iOS 12.1 update and have been extracted from there in their high-resolution glory.
If you like the wallpapers that you see above, download an archive containing all of them in their high-resolution glory from below.
Apple on Tuesday announced the new MacBook Air, the company’s entry-level computer that’s a massive upgrade when compared to the previous generation model.
The major takeaway at this point is the adoption of a Retina display and Touch ID in the new MacBook Air, two of the most oft-requested features for the laptop lineup. Of course, Apple made some other changes as well, including a brand new, eighth-generation Intel Core processor under the hood. But some new information has shed some light on the specifics.
AnandTech‘s coverage of today’s MacBook Air announcement has an interesting detail. Namely, the publication points out that the details for the 8th-Gen Intel Core i5 processor that Apple has listed on its site don’t actually match up with any current 8th-Gen Intel Core processor. Apple’s boast that the new processor can be turbo charged up to 3.6GHz, and that it is coupled with Intel’s UHD Graphics 617, was what gave it away, apparently.
So, what’s Apple using? The publication has determined that it’s an unannounced 5-Watt Y-series chip, specifically an Amber Lake model. Intel first launched Amber Lake back in August of this year. So while power consumption should be significantly reduced with this new processor, it appears that the performance gains could have been optimal if the company had stuck with the U-series of processors from Intel:
“At a minimum, it’s clear that this is one of Intel’s 5 Watt Y-series chips – almost certainly Amber Lake. Launched back in August, Amber Lake is Intel’s latest-generation 5W chips and goes under the 8th Gen Core branding. Compared to the Broadwell (5th Gen Core) chips in the previous MacBook Air, these chips represent a big step up in capabilities and performance, incorporating a newer CPU core design as well as a newer GPU design. However it’s also notable that the new chips, even in cTDP up mode, are also much lower power than the older 15W U-series chips Apple used, which means that processor power consumption should be significantly reduced – and the chips thinner as well – though the total performance gain won’t be quite as much as if Apple had stuck with U-series chips.”
This also sticks out because Apple is only offering a single processor option for the MacBook Air with this iteration of the lineup. No options when it comes to this detail. That may not be the best possible scenario for some potential buyers, but considering this is the company’s entry-level laptop, but refreshed and slightly more expensive than the previous model, having only one option doesn’t seem completely ridiculous.
This isn’t just a change to a few macOS UI elements, or a skin on some apps. Apple’s dark mode in macOS Mojave is a system-wide dark mode, and allows for third-party apps to jump in on the fun, too. That includes Microsoft, which is letting the world know today that some of the apps available in its suite of Office apps are going to be updated to support Mojave’s dark mode soon.
Microsoft Product Manger for Office’s iOS and macOS apps, Akshay Bakshi, took to Twitter today to tweet out that some of the Office apps are getting full dark mode support in a subsequent update. Bakshi said, in part, “Office Visual Refresh and Dark Mode support rolling out now to Insiders Fast with build 181029!” Bakshi points that only Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are getting updated to support Mojave’s dark mode, so it’s not the full suite of apps just yet.
📣 Office Visual Refresh and Dark Mode support rolling out now to Insiders Fast with build 181029!
With the way that dark mode is implemented in macOS Mojave, any app that doesn’t yet support the feature stands out. And not necessarily in a good way. For fans of the Office suite of apps, it’s good to see Microsoft is adding support for the desktop operating system’s feature soon — even if it is for only a select number of apps.
The 2018 iPad Pro was announced earlier today, coming in two variants with different screen sizes.
With the products now officially official, and available to preorder, the company has gone ahead and updated its official support page for out-of-warranty repair prices. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Apple has hiked up the pricing for its newest big-screen tablet devices, but not by much, thankfully. Still, these are the most expensive iPads to date, and they are coupled with the most expensive out-of-warranty repair costs.
For the 2018 11-inch iPad Pro, you will fork over $499 to repair. Meanwhile, the 2018 12.9-inch iPad Pro will cost $649 for out-of-warranty repairs. These are for the issues that aren’t covered by Apple’s standard warranty or by local laws. These prices are also in place if you don’t have Apple’s extra warranty option, AppleCare+.
If you do have AppleCare+, though, repairs for both the 11- and 12.9-inch (3rd Generation) iPad Pro is priced at $49.
From Apple:
“If your iPad issue isn’t covered, you’ll pay an out-of-warranty fee unless your iPad has AppleCare+ coverage. AppleCare+ includes two incidents of accidental damage. You might be able to use one of those incidents for a cracked screen or for other damage to your iPad. Each AppleCare+ incident has a service fee, as shown.”
The cheapest out-of-warranty repair price at the time of publication is the $199 you’ll pay to repair the original iPad mini, or the iPad mini 2. Just slightly more expensive than that, at $249, is the iPad, iPad 2, iPad Air, iPad 5th generation, and iPad 6th generation.
So, if you haven’t normally picked up AppleCare+, will you now with thee new all-screen iPad Pro designs?
It has been over a year since Apple launched its in-store Today At Apple sessions, which also include more in-depth programs like going on walks near the retail location, or Labs that go into even more detail for Apple customers that want to learn the intricacies of apps, features of their Apple products, or even things like taking photos with the iPhone or drawing on the iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil.
Since its launch 18 months ago, Today At Apple has hosted over 18,000 sessions across the globe. Just recently, in light of a coding initiative in Europe, Apple hosted over 2,000 sessions in that region. Today At Apple also includes local talent sessions, where it brings artists from a local area to come in and talk about their art, their process, and how Apple customers can follow along with their own artistic endeavors.
Apple today announced that on top of what it is already doing, Today At Apple will be adding 60 new sessions to the mix. That will see the already popular video, music, and design sessions expanding in major ways. Video Lab will show off the Clips app, the Photo Lab will show off the power of Portrait Mode. Design Lab will teach architectural principles.
Video Lab in Color and Mood in Final Cut Pro will teach how to use colors to enhance a scene in a movie. Advanced Beat Making will sample audio, design sounds and program different styles and beats.
Tim Cook also added that there are over 70,000 team members working at Apple Retail stores across the globe.
Just like it happens before any Apple event, the company’s online store has gone down ahead of today’s iPad Pro and MacBook event. Apple is also expected to unveil the Apple Pencil 2 at the event.
Unlike the iPhone XS event from September, Apple’s ‘There’s More in the Making’ is a relatively smaller one that is being held in Brooklyn. The event is scheduled to start from 10:00 AM ET.
Apple is expected to unveil its 2018 iPad Pro lineup at the event. The refreshed tablet lineup will feature slimmer bezels, faster A12-powered internals, and Face ID. The thinner tablets will also ditch the headphone jack and the Lightning connector. Instead, it will feature a USB-C port to allow for 4K HDR video output to external monitors.
Thankfully, Apple will also bundle a 18W USB-C charger with the tablets for faster charging times.
Alongside its new iPad Pro lineup, Apple is also expected to unveil a new cheaper MacBook lineup featuring Intel’s Kaby Lake processor. There are also rumors of a refreshed Mac mini being unveiled at the event.
Between 2015 and 2016, it felt like Apple was opening a new retail store in China every few weeks. However, since then, Apple’s retail expansion has slowed down greatly in China. And it is not like the company has managed to open a retail store in China in every nook and cranny. Plus, the massive retail expansion came after Apple missed its original deadline of opening 25 new stores in China by 2011.
The slowdown comes at a time when Apple is facing intense competition from local Chinese OEMs and a rapid retail expansion is what can help Apple capture a bigger pie of the premium Chinese smartphone market.
However, since 2016, Apple has only opened four retail stores in China. This is because the retail stores have not done as well as the company’s expectations particularly in smaller cities in China. Apple has around 42 stores in China and it is now repositioning them for tourists and locals instead of simply trying to cover the entire country with stores. This makes sense given that Apple’s own retail stores account for about 10 percent of its total sales in China as per a company’s former employee, with the remaining 90 percent coming from third-party channels.
As for the delay in Apple’s retail expansion in China and missing its initial deadline of opening 25 stores in the country, The Information report blames it on red tape, bureaucracy, and the company’s own demand for massive space at premium locations.
Apple had to navigate a maze of government bureaucracy to obtain everything from business and tax licenses to construction, fire and customs permits for imported building materials, former employees say. The regulatory framework in China is far more complicated than in the U.S., with many more layers of government, these former employee say, and it’s far more opaque. Employees frequently scrambled to chase down permits and local approvals to keep store openings on track, they said.
Apple had planned to open at least 40 stores in Greater China by 2016. However, due to its dwindling sales in China, high return rates, and scalpers taking undue advantage of promotions, Apple has had to change its strategy.
“They basically wanted to have Apple stores everywhere in China, but they quickly realized that the strategy wasn’t profitable,” said one former employee with direct knowledge of the matter. “In the smaller mall stores, people would come in, have a look, hang out—but not buy anything.”
Apple’s strategy is in stark contrast to that of other local Chinese OEMs like Oppo, Vivo, Huawei, and Xiaomi who have been greatly expanding their local presence, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities to boost their sales. The strategy seems to have worked very well for Huawei and Xiaomi which are enjoying great success in China.
Will Strafach a.k.a @Chronic, former iPhone jailbreaker and security researcher, is working on a mobile firewall app called Guardian Mobile Firewall which aims to prevent apps from secretly and silently stealing a user’s private data without their knowledge.
Strafach had revealed last year that AccuWeather was silently sending the precise location of its users without their explicit permission. Similarly, he revealed a list of apps on the App Store that were secretly sending the private data of their users to data monetization firms.
To prevent this from happening, Will Strafach has worked on the Guardian Mobile Firewall app with co-founder Joshua Hill and COO Chirayu Patel. The app is basically a smart VPN that redirects all your iPhone’s or iPad’s internet activity through its encrypted servers. Unlike other secure VPN apps though, the Guardian servers will filter out all your personal data thereby preventing apps from secretly sending your data for monetization purposes. This also has the benefit of reducing on-device processing thereby improving performance.
In a nutshell, the app wants to act like a spam filter for the internet traffic from your device. It wants to prevent unintended and personal data from being stolen by apps silently for monetization purposes.
The Alerts tab in the app will provide users with information as to when and what data kind of data a specific app was blocked from accessing. To ensure the functionality of an app is not affected, the team does its own research to identify what kind of data it can block apps from accessing. It will also go through the top apps on the App Store from time to time for the best experience.
By default, Guardian Mobile firewall will first warn users when an app tries to obtain their personal data from their iPhone without their consent and give them the option to block it. In the future, the app will gain a “Lockdown mode” that will deny malicious data request access by default.
While there are plenty of other VPN apps on the App Store, the Guardian Mobile Firewall app and the team behind it are trying to separate themselves from the rest by collecting as less information about their users as possible. In fact, unlike other VPN apps, one does not need to create an account to use the app. — instead, it will simply generate a random set of VPN credentials.
“We don’t even want to say ‘you can trust us not to do anything,’ because we don’t want to be in a position that we have to be trusted,” Will Strafach said. “We really just want to run our business the old fashioned way. We want people to pay for our product and we provide them service, and we don’t want their data or send them marketing.”
You can join the Early Adopter Program of the Guardian Mobile Firewall app from their website.
It looks like Apple might also unveil the Apple Pencil 2 alongside its 2018 iPad Pro lineup at its October 30 event. As per some code and properties referenced in iOS 12, the Apple Pencil 2 will carry the model number B332 and have support for gestures.
The gesture support will allow designers to change the stroke properties by simply sliding their finger across the sides of the pencil. The information was first posted on Twitter by developer Guilherme Rambo and it was further corroborated by developer Steve Troughton-Smith.
Apple Pencil 2, model B332, will support gestures. The user will be able to change stroke properties by sliding along the sides of the pencil.
The way I figure, the new Pencil will have a button of some sort on the side that when you hold down you can perform gestures with the Pencil — tap, double tap, or swipe. A solid state button sounds very Apple-y. Devs could perhaps use for radial contextual menus
However, the latter says the Apple Pencil 2 will have a small button — possibly a solid state one like the Home button on the iPhone 7/8 — on its side which would act as a trigger to enable the gestures. The button can also be used inside apps to show contextual menus and provide designers with quick access to the tools they need.
While not mentioned, the Apple Pencil 2 should be compatible with existing iPad Pro lineup as well. There have not been many leaks surrounding the Apple Pencil 2, though one rumor back in 2017 did claim that it would come with magnets so that it can attach itself magnetically to an iPad.
The original Apple Pencil was released back in 2015 so it is certainly due for an upgrade. Are you looking forward to Apple Pencil 2? Or do you think the changes are too small to warrant an upgrade?
Apple will be unveiling its 2018 iPad Pro lineup with slimmer bezels, Face ID, and powerful internals at its ‘There’s More in the Making’ event tomorrow (i.e. October 30th). Alongside new iPads, Apple will also unveil its a new low-cost MacBook and a refreshed Mac Mini with faster internals.
Unlike Apple’s September iPhone event, the October event is a relatively small one that will focus more on the company’s other yet equally important devices. The event will be held in Brooklyn, New York at the Howard Gilman Opera House and start from 10:00 AM ET.
How to Watch Apple’s October 30 2018 iPad Pro Event on Apple TV
If you have the new Apple TV 4 then download the Apple Events app from the tvOS App Store for free if you haven’t done so already.
If you have Apple TV 3 or Apple TV 2 with Apple TV software 5.0.2 or later, then navigate to “Apple Events” channel with the Apple logo (like the one above) on the main menu to watch the 2018 iPhone event live on your television.
How to Watch Apple’s October 30 2018 iPad ProEvent on Mac
If you plan to watch it on your Mac then launch Safari browser and point it to this URL.
How to Watch Apple’s October 30 2018 iPad Pro Event on iPad or iPhone
If you are going to watch the event on your iPhone or iPad, simply open this URL in Safari on your iOS device.
How to Watch Apple’s October 30 2018 iPad Pro Event on Windows 10 PC
Windows users can also watch the live stream of Apple’s ‘Gather Round’ live stream but there’s one catch. You can only use Microsoft’s Edge browser to view the live stream. Point the browser to the event page on Apple’s website to watch the live stream.
Are you looking forward to Apple unveiling its 2018 iPad Pro lineup tomorrow? Or are you more excited about a possible Mac mini refresh?
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Apple released the first beta of iOS 12.1 last month itself. The first major point release of iOS 12 is expected to come with a number of new features and enhancements and will come ahead of the crucial holiday season starts in the U.S. Wondering when Apple will get around to releasing iOS 12.1 to the public though?
Well, as per carriers and given Apple’s event on October 30th, it is widely expected that the company will release the final build of iOS 12.1 to the public tomorrow itself.
This should also coincide with the launch of the new iPad Pro that will likely go up for pre-order after the event and probably hit the stores later in the week.
iOS 12.1 will enable a number of new features on the iPhone XS and iPhone XR. This includes eSIM support and dual-SIM connectivity, group FaceTime calls, and live Depth Control effect. The update will also add support for over 70 new emojis and fix the BeautyGate issues on the iPhone XS series for good. Apple will also release watchOS 5 alongside iOS 12.1 which should enable the ECG feature on the wearable.
Apart from iPad Pro and iOS 12.1, Apple is also expected to unveil new MacBooks and a refreshed Mac Mini at its event tomorrow.
Are you looking forward to the final iOS 12.1 release?
When Apple first unveiled the Apple Watch Series 4, many non-U.S. customers were bummed to know that the wearable’s ECG feature would not work outside of the United States. Apple on its part made it clear that the ECG feature would roll out to more countries as and when it receives clearance from FDA-like authority in various countries.
As it turns out, Apple is not placing any hardware lock on the ECG feature of the Apple Watch Series 4. This means that the feature can be enabled by simply changing the region of the Apple Watch and the connected iPhone to the United States. This is as simple as going to Settings -> General -> Language & Region -> Region and changing it to the United States. The flip side? The date and time format, currency, and other formats will change to the United States as well. But then you can at least get to enjoy the ECG feature on your Apple Watch once the feature is live.
While Apple started selling the Apple Watch Series 4 from late last month, the ECG feature of the wearable is not yet active. It is coming later this year along with a new companion ECG app.
Do note that this information is based on some snippets of pre-release software so it is entirely possible that Apple ends up applying a different kind of hardware lock on the ECG feature of the Apple Watch Series 4 outside of the United States. A software limitation makes more sense than a hardware limitation here though since it would allow Apple to enable the feature just as easily in various regions once it receives the necessary clearance.
Unlike the iPhone XS, the iPhone XR only has a single camera on the back. But it still supports Portrait Mode. Just like Pixel 3, it uses software to create a fake bokeh effect. On paper, that’s all and good. But iPhone XR’s software Portrait Mode has one major flaw – it only works on people.
When you switch to the Portrait mode on the iPhone XR and you try to take a depth effect shot of an object or your pet, your iPhone will not play along. Instead, on the top, you’ll see a disclaimer: No person detected. The background will remain unblurred.
If you’ve just bought an iPhone XR hoping to take some sweet depth effect shots of your cute dogs, this can be infuriating. Halide (our pick for the best pro camera app for the iPhone) might just have a solution.
In a post on Reddit, the developers have teased the fact that they have Portrait mode running on both pets and objects for the iPhone XR, inside the Halide app. While it’s not perfected yet, the next version of Halide will include the Portrait mode support for iPhone XR.
Depth on iPhone XR vs iPhone XS. The XR has 1/4 the depth data. (Ignore color differences.) pic.twitter.com/WMkDtznY5o
Halide’s developers say that iPhone XR’s portrait mode is “more temperamental” than the iPhone XS and the depth map has a lower resolution. But the important data is all there.
And would you know it, we have Portrait Mode working on pets! We think with some more tooling, we’ll be able to ship a version of our app that enables portrait mode for all sorts of things. It seems it’ll be a bit more ‘temperamental’; in some settings it won’t work if there’s not enough variance in relative distance of objects, but a can of soda water on my desk worked just fine.
This means third party apps should be able to enable a form of Portrait mode for more than people, which is exciting! Note that the depth map is way lower resolution than the dual camera setup, but it seems usable.
Overall, the iPhone XR is a great phone. In fact, for most people, it’s difficult to justify the extra cost of the iPhone XS. But this is definitely one of the biggest limitations of the iPhone XR. Thanks to Halide, you can potentially solve this by spending $5.99, instead of $250.
The iPhone XR went on sale late last week. There’s a lot to like about the device especially since it packs almost all the features of the iPhone XS for a few hundred dollars less. Now, if you have gotten your hands on the iPhone XR and are looking for some amazing new wallpapers for it, we have you covered.
The iPhone XR comes with a bunch of new default wallpapers but you are likely to get bored with it sooner or later. This means you will end up looking for new wallpapers pretty soon which can be a daunting task for many. To help make your life easier, we have collated a bunch of quality wallpapers for your iPhone XR.
Liked what you see above? Then download an archive of the above wallpapers in their high-resolution glory for your iPhone XR from below.
Apple says that it uses the same front glass on the iPhone XR as the iPhone XS which it claims is the “most durable” smartphone glass ever. At the rear though, the iPhone XR uses the same glass as the iPhone XR from last year. Plus, there’s the Series 7000 aluminum chassis which while durable is prone to bend and deform easily when dropped. So, how does the iPhone XR perform in a durability test?
As YouTuber EverythingApplePro shows in his durability test, the iPhone XR is actually pretty darn durable. Its durability was compared to the iPhone 8 which also performed notably well in the tests surviving multiple drops from various heights.
The iPhone 8’s front panel ultimately broke when it was dropped from a 6ft+ height face down. However, the iPhone XR managed to survive even that test which is a testament to its impressive durability.
What’s even more impressive is that the iPhone XR survived a 10ft drop to one of its edges with only a few scuffs and scratches. The rear panel did ultimately shatter from a 10ft height drop but the front panel remarkably remained intact with so sign of damage. It was only when the device was dropped face down from a 10ft. drop that the front panel also cracked.
In the end, the video makes it pretty clear that the iPhone XR is extremely durable — perhaps more so than the iPhone XS series. What do you think about the iPhone XR’s durability based on the video above?
It can be an awesome clear case, a crash proof bumper, a wireless charging setup, or a fast charging setup. Or a simple Beats earphones color co-ordinated with your iPhone XR. Your new iPhone is looking for a new best friend. Luckily we’ve got a list of some of the best candidates. Check out our list of the best accessories for your new iPhone XR.
1. Spigen liquid Crystal Case
The liquid Crystal Case is designed to showcase the magnificent the beauty of new iPhone XR colors. The main feature of the case is its slim frame which does not add any bulk to the device and the crystal clarity of the case is the main feature of displaying the original look of the phone.
The slim protection of the case makes it pocket and grip-friendly. The case keeps your phone free from the watermarks and has an innovative air cushion technology. The case has a built-in camera guard and is easy to hold. The case also supports the wireless charging of the phone and the precise cutouts provide easy access to every feature on the device.
The most important tool to keep your new iPhone XR safe is the Spigen Tough Armor Case. The compatibility of the case with the iPhone XR is noteworthy. The most important features are extreme drop protection with two layers of impact resistance. The tough armor case has ergonomic daily grip and pocket friendliness.
The case keeps you protected from each and every fall and keeps your phone free from the cost of faulty insurance provided by the companies. What makes this tough armor case more interesting is the Air Cushion Technology which enables it to support wireless charging thus you don’t have to remove the case while charging your iPhone.
RhinoShield is the last name in crash protection bumpers. Get a CrashGuard NX bumper and be rest assured that no matter what kind of fall your iPhone takes, the glass back and front will probably be safe. That’s because the bumper is intelligently designed to absorb all shocks. It covers sides, yes, but it extends a lip across the front and the back as well. So your iPhone never actually touches the ground.
The case comes in bright colors like Yellow and Blue to go with your iPhone XR.
Mophie Charge Steam Pad+ is of the best accessory out there for all Apple devices as it provides up to 10 Watts of power for fast charging your iPhone XR.
The rubberized pad holds the smartphone securely in place while charging and the cable and wall adapter gives you an optimum way of charging your phone. This pad uses state of the art Qi technology. You just have to put your iPhone XR on the pad and charging will begin immediately. The pad is compatible with all Apple smartphones and can charge through lightweight cases up to 3mm thick.
This is the ultra High speed two Port USB charger. The power port charges up to 80% of battery in 35 minutes with the compatible devices. You get 30W fast charging in a safe package. And unlike Apple’s option, Anker’s adapter costs only $30.
What makes it more user-friendly is its ability to provide surge protection, temperature control and other advanced safety features with the help of safe and advanced technology. The plug is foldable and is compact in its size and has international compatibility (100-240V) which makes it ideal for travelers.
If you are using an iPhone XR, then you can’t go wrong with the PALOVUE headphone. It’s one of the best budget earphones out there.
The frequency of the headphone is between 20Hz- 20KHz. The headphones come with various color options and with the cord length of 0.8 m which is ideal for all the smartphones and is compatible with all Apple products.
The control box allows you to change the volume, skip music tracks and allows you to communicate with Siri. The cable is made up of the material that doesn’t get tangled easily and the earbuds are magnetic allows you to enjoy the best musical experience without worries.
The HTKG power bank comes with an additional feature of a wireless charger and a wireless battery pack for your iPhone XR.
You can charge the 10000mAh power bank and can use it to charge your iPhones effortlessly. The battery pack has two input ports – Type-C and Micro USB.
The power bank weighs as little as an iPhone and charges iPhones of double it’s size. The power bank has PowerIQ and Voltage boost technology and it delivers the fastest possible charge.
The power bank charges within just 6 hours and provides enough power to simultaneously charge three devices at a time! The power bank has features of a surge and short circuit protection. The power bank comes with a customer satisfactory 18-month warranty with easy to reach support.
If you’ve got an iPhone XR with an awesome Coral or Yellow color, you’ll want a pair of earphones that match. Don’t worry, Apple is at your service. This new line of urBeats 3 Lightning earphones come in 5 colors. Colors that complement the shades of the iPhone XR.
The earphone has an optimum fit and variety of options given for comfort and noise isolation. The earphones take calls with built-in mic and it controls your favorite music and also helps in activating Siri with a push of a button. Plus, the earphones themselves can snap magnetically so you can safely store them when not in use.
The iOttie Easy Touch is a smartphone holder for dashboard and windshield surfaces which enhances your driving experience. The phone mount features allow you to use a simple hand motion for removing it while it is mounted.
Adjustable telescopic arm in this device offers you increased range, strength, and stability for your phone. It is universal and compatible with all car models.
The iOttie’s super strong cup installs on smooth or other surfaces and helps you in your viewing experience. The car mount is compatible with smartphones and cases with 3.5 inches in width, and will comfortably accommodate your iPhone XR.
AirPods are the best new accessory for the new iPhone XR. It’s one of the best products Apple has released in the last couple of years. Yes, at $159, they’re not cheap. But they’re well worth the price.
AirPods are completely wireless EarPods and they work great with the iPhone. Just remove them from the case, put them in your ears, here the little ting sound and boom, they’re connected. There’s no need to pair and unpair the Bluetooth connection constantly. After using AirPods, you’ll wonder how you could use Bluetooth headphones for all these years.
The iPhone XR has the best battery backup of any iPhone yet. But still, if you live on your iPhone, you might just run out of battery in half a day. If you don’t want to carry an external battery pack, a battery case is the best option for you.
It doesn’t look like Apple will release an official battery case for the XR, given its size. This is where third-party cases come in. Snowpink has a 5000mAh battery case that’s just the right balance between bulk and battery. You’ll be able to charge your iPhone twice, without adding a brick to the back of the iPhone.
iPhone XR is huge. It’s almost as big as the iPhone XS Max. If you’re coming from an iPhone 8, getting used to the size can be a problem. There’s a simple way to avoid slip-ups and accidental falls. Get a PopSocket. You can get an adhesive PopSocket in a variety of colors and patterns for around $10.
Stick it and just push it to reveal a collapsable grip. You can wrap your fingers around it to comfortably hold the iPhone XR. The PopSockets can also be used as a stand.
This isn’t for everyone but if you’re loving the iPhone XR, you should consider buying the Apple Watch Series 4. It will exponentially increase your joy and productivity. Series 4 Apple Watch is finally stylish, has a big screen, and is filled with fitness tracking and notification features.
