Benjamin Mayo

Seemingly-reliable schematics for the upcoming iPhone 12 Pro Max sourced by Max Weinbach are featured in EverythingApplePro’s latest YouTube video. The key takeaways reflect what we already knew: the new iPhone is going to share a lot of design aesthetics from the iPad Pro.

As always, the devil is in the details. The CADs show the squared-off flat side finish we’ve been expecting, but confirms the previously leaked size specifications. The schematics suggest the phone will get thinner compared to the iPhone 11 Pro Max, from 8.1 mm down to 7.4 mm.

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Battery life is one of the most important factors for smartphones these days. Apple doesn’t make it particularly easy to compare the lifetimes between iPhone models, so we’ve collated all the specs so you can break it down, and help with your buying decision.

The latest entrant to this arena is the just-announced iPhone SE 2nd-generation. But how does the new iPhone SE battery life compare to the rest of Apple’s iPhone lineup?

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In line with previous rumors dating back a few years, Bloomberg today released a report that Apple will be releasing own-brand over-ear headphones as early as this year. Apple subsidiary Beats already sells high-end over-ear headphones in the form of Beats Studio 3, and released Beats Solo Pro recently, but we have seen Apple release similar audio products to Beats many times before.

In the way that AirPods Pro are differentiated from Powerbeats Pro, we can expect something similar for Apple’s headphones to distance themselves from the Beats line. Bloomberg says Apple’s headphones will feature magnetically swappable components, allowing the user to customize the product for their own style and ergonomics.

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Bloomberg today reports that of the four new iPhone models in the iPhone 12 lineup, at least two will feature a redesigned chassis with flat stainless steel edges, with flat sides and more sharply rounded corners like the current iPad Pro design.

The size of the Face ID notch is also expected to get smaller this year. Echoing previous reports, Apple is also working on a cheaper HomePod that would be about half the size of the current product. Bloomberg says the iPhone 12 and HomePod are expected to launch later this year.

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Update: HBO today extended the deprecation date another two weeks, so HBO Now will keep working until May 15th and HBO Go will continue for a few more months.

The HBO Now app is ending support for the third-generation Apple TV on May 15 (originally scheduled for April 30). HBO Go will be discontinued at a later date. The apps will no longer work when that time comes; a banner is now visible in the HBO app on the older Apple TV boxes explaining the impending removal.

Although the third-gen Apple TV is actually an eight-year-old device at this point, released in 2012, a lot of them are still in use as the upgrade cycle for set-top boxes is much longer than it is for phones. Apple also sold that model of Apple TV for as low as $69, so it was very popular. But now, HBO is ending support as it prepares to launch its new HBO Max streaming service. So what are your options?

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Whilst everyone is staying indoors, Apple has made a handful of Apple TV+ shows free for anyone to stream. This should be live now in the US and available in all countries where Apple TV+ is available starting April 11th.

Rather than give unlimited access to the full Apple TV+ collection, Apple has made a handful of series temporarily free. This means anyone can stream Little America, Servant, For All Mankind, Dickinson, Snoopy in Space, Helpsters, Ghostwriter and The Elephant Queen.

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A report from the Commercial Times suggests that many Apple partners in the Taiwanese supply chain are expecting a stall in production as a result of the coronavirus impacts on consumer demand. “There will be a lot of stagnation in the second quarter” said one source.

Apple will officially report revenues for the current quarter on April 30. The closure of Apple Stores and global retail stores is expected to have a big hit on iPhone sales. Online sales are also expected to be down as consumers prioritize their income away from non-essential purchases in the current climate.

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As a continuation of a purported leak of what the iPhone 12 camera bump will look like, the same Twitter source has now shared a larger image that shows the supposed front of the iPhone 12 as well.

What appears to be shown is a new design iPhone 12 with a notch that is less wide than the current iPhone 11 series. The outlined graphic shows a stylized representation of the home screen, as if this image was meant to be used in an instructional manual somewhere. However, 9to5Mac cannot confirm its legitimacy and its original sourcing is unclear.

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Apple is currently running a special promotion for employees. The HomePod usually retails for $299 for customers, but Apple retail and corporate employees can pick up a HomePod right now at half price: $149.50 each to be exact.

This special employee discount is not unprecedented, but uncommon. It is possible that Apple is trying to reduce inventory of the HomePod ahead of a rumored product update. Although the HomePod is widely praised for its sound quality, its high price relative to the smart speaker market has meant it has not been a mainstream success.

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Update: The Apple News service appears to be fully operational once again. Original story below unchanged.

Many users are unable to use the Apple News app this morning. Rather than seeing a feed of today’s stories, upon opening the app, users are presented with an error message stating that the feed is unavailable.

If you dismiss the dialog, other areas of the News app appear still to be up. So you can browse the News+ catalog or find individual channels, but the main Today news feed is not loading.

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Update: In a statement, Apple told 9to5Mac that it has an “established program for premium subscription video entertainment providers” and qualifying apps like Prime Video can offer customers the option to buy or rent movies and TV shows using the payment method tied to their existing video subscription. This same program covers features like integration with the TV app, AirPlay 2, universal search and single sign-on integration. Original story below.

In a significant shift, the Amazon Prime Video app on iOS and Apple TV now features a built-in content store. This means users can now buy or rent TV shows and movies directly inside the app on Apple platforms. The change was first spotted by The Verge.

For the longest time, Amazon did not support this because of Apple’s App Store rules which require the developer to use Apple’s In-App purchase system for digital content and give 30% of the revenue to Apple. The app now seems to use Amazon payment method if you have a card on file, otherwise it uses Apple In-App Purchase.

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As the investor community fears devastating repercussions to the production schedules of Chinese industry in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, many doubt whether Apple’s major iPhone 12 release cycle will be able to go ahead as normal.

For its part, Foxconn appears unfazed. Via Bloomberg, the key iPhone assembly told investors on a private conference call today that it is still prepared for a fall 5G iPhone debut.

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