Follow Benjamin on Threads to keep up with his latest projects. Benjamin blogs about Apple news and rumors and posts insightful product and app reviews. Read his work on 9to5Mac and his personal blog.
Benjamin Mayo also creates apps for iOS as a professional indie developer and contractor; more details here. Email to discuss making your iOS project.
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Apple has been readying new Powerbeats 4 for a few weeks now; we have seen the new Powerbeats hit the FCC and plenty of spec leaks. That hasn’t stopped a Walmart store from selling them. If you want near-undeniable evidence that this product is about to be officially announced, then here you are.
Apple has just announced WWDC for 2020, coming in June (no exact date specified). The conference will be presented as what Apple calls a completely new online experience, confirming that a physical event will not be happening this year due to coronavirus concerns.
In the online event, Apple will preview the future of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS. Apple will also release developer betas at the same time.
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As 9to5Mac reported on Tuesday, iOS 14 code indicates that Apple is working on changes to the iPhone home screen, including a new list view.
Instead of just the grid of app icons, there will be a new page or new mode so users can look at their apps in a top-to-bottom scrolling list. Now, some intrepid readers have made mockups of what that might look like.
A report from AppleInsider shines a light on how Apple’s staff are not adequately trained and prepared to deal with Mac Pro problems. Their production Mac Pro started exhibiting issues, but found the Apple support experience less than satisfactory.
In a clear case of Apple Stores not being ready to service the Mac Pro effectively, the report describes how one Apple Store Genius tried to power the machine by plugging a MacBook PRO USB-C charger into one of the Mac Pro’s Thunderbolt ports.
The coronavirus is having ripple effects across the industry (and the world) and one such area is TV production. Many TV shows are halting production for the time being and Apple’s original content is no exception.
Apple’s flagship original series The Morning Show is stopping production for two weeks as a precaution against possible coronavirus spread, reports Deadline.
This is just one more part of the Apple ecosystem that is now on pause as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to positive scissor switch keyboard news for MacBook Air users, the Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also accelerated his expectations for Apple’s next-generation machines, according to a Chinese language report seen by 9to5Mac.
The report indicates that Apple will release its first ARM Mac as soon as the end of this year, with a shipment timeframe of Q4 2020 – Q1 2021. This will likely be some kind of MacBook, but Kuo does not provide more specific technical details …
Apple is said to be accelerating the product pipeline for new Mac laptops. Following the warm reception to the 16-inch MacBook Pro, reliable Ming-Chi Kuo now expects Apple to deliver new MacBook Air and new MacBook Pro models in the second quarter.
This means the butterfly keyboard will have flown away on all of Apple’s products by June.
Apple TV+ today announced that it had ordered a new thriller drama ‘Suspicion’, based on an award-winning Israeli series ‘False Flag’, which Apple bought the rights to last year.
Suspicion will star Uma Thurman, Kunal Nayyar, Noah Emmerich and Georgina Campbell among others. Apple did not announce a release date for the series at this time …
Apple today released a fun new commercial for its new AirPods Pro wireless earbuds, released last October. The ad centers around an AirPods Pro wearing woman who uses transparency mode to do errands around the city whilst switching to noise cancellation mode to be transported into the music.
Not that the AirPods Pro particularly need marketing, the buds have been sold out basically since launch. Apple currently quotes a month-long delivery delay if you order now from the Apple Online Store. Watch the ad after the break …
Apple is developing a new app as part of its work on iOS 14. The new app, codenamed Gobi, will allow users to get more information about the world around them by using an augmented reality experience on the phone. The AR experience would also be part of Apple’s forthcoming AR headset project.
Based on 9to5Mac code findings, Apple appears to be testing integrations with Apple Stores and Starbucks. For instance, users would be able to hold up their phone in an Apple Store and view information about the products on display, get pricing, and compare features.
In a statement today, Apple said that an employee of its Cork, Ireland campus has tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus and is now in isolation. The company says it is continuing to carry out a regular deep cleaning at all offices and retail stores.
Some workers are being told to stay at home whilst Apple cooperates with local health authorities to assess the situation.
The latest installment in Apple’s ongoing Shot on iPhone ad campaign is a daring one, a five-hour journey through the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Shot on iPhone 11 Pro in 4K, Apple says the 5 hour 19 minute 28 second video was recorded on one battery charge. The journey covers more than 45 galleries and not only features the art on exhibition, but Apple set up several live performances along the way. Watch the video after the break …
According to code seen by 9to5Mac, Apple is set to roll out rich system-wide support for mouse cursors with iOS 14. Apple added rudimentary compatibility with external mice in iOS 13 Accessibility settings, but iOS 14 (iPadOS 14) will make it mainstream.
The iOS 14 build also referenced two new Smart Keyboard models in development. More on mouse cursor support in iOS 14 after the break …
The successor to Apple Powerbeats3 are almost here. After hitting the FCC last week, 9to5Mac has obtained videos of the new headphones and the website WinFuture has reported specs and shared marketing photos of the upcoming product.
The new Powerbeats 4 feature a slightly sleeker design, which should be more comfortable on the ear, and boast up to 15 hours of battery life according to WinFuture’s source. See the pairing animations for the new headphones after the jump …
Apple sold less than 500,000 iPhones in China across February as the region enforced restrictions on travel and public gatherings to counter the threat of coronavirus spread.
Specifically, government figures showed Apple sold 494,000 phones in February, down 60% compared to the 1.27 million iPhones sold in the same month a year ago.
Over the weekend, Bank of America analysts released a report predicting that the flagship 5G iPhone series could be delayed by a month as another example of the COVID-19 coronavirus impact on the supply chain.
Apple’s flagship iPhones usually debut in September; the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro were released on 20 September 2019. However, some models have previously launched in late October/early November (iPhone XR / iPhone X). As the production of iPhone 12 continues to be held up, the September launch window is looking increasingly unlikely.
Apple is telling employees to work from home this week if their job allows for it. Workers at Apple Park were told not to come to work on Friday, and now this policy has been expanded to cover Apple offices in California, Seattle, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. This represents most — but not all — of Apple’s corporate locations.
The new policy was first reported by Bloomberg, and has now been confirmed by Apple itself. In line with announcements from other tech companies, Apple says it will continue to pay hourly contract workers their normal wages.
As part of its International Womens Day celebrations, Apple has dedicated its homepage to an interactive feature of “women who are changing everything”. On both desktop and mobile, Apple’s homepage has been transformed into a scrollable universe of biographies of influential women in modern culture, from Malala to Greta Gerwig.
Below the interactive collage, Apple’s site features sign up links for Today at Apple and its new She Creates series, as well as sections raising awareness for projects like Kode With Klossy and the Malala Fund. Check it out now at Apple.com.
According to a report from Business Insider, Apple is telling employees at its Cupertino campuses, Apple Park and Infinite Loop, that it recommends working from home today as an “additional precaution” (via Mark Gurman).
Further details on the policy are not clear at this time. Many divisions of Apple may struggle to do their jobs remotely effectively, which is perhaps why this is a recommendation rather than a requirement at this stage. Apple is yet to confirm the arrangements publicly.
Apple continues to improve the experience for Apple Card users. In the latest iOS 13.4 betas, the Wallet app includes a richer and more detailed transaction history for App Store purchases and other Apple subscriptions.
OPPO has made an ascendancy in recent years with its high-spec low-price smartphones, and now the company is making its break into the smartwatch market with its Apple Watch clone, err I mean, competitor.
The OPPO Watch was announced at an event in China today; the company touted its signature design, curved AMOLED display, health features, built-in cellular and its range of rubber or leather bands. The OPPO Watch goes on sale later this month in China, obviously not to be confused with the similar-looking — and similar-sounding — Apple Watch.
Apple is reporting that some cloud services including iMessage, iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive are currently experiencing technical difficulties.
In a pair of Digitimes reports, the supply-chain focused publication suggests that the launch of Apple’s next phone model may be a little further off. The iPhone 9, or iPhone SE 2, whatever you want to call it, has apparently reached the final stage of production verification.
However, this means that a formal release could still be weeks away. Additionally, Digitimes reports that PCB orders for the iPhone SE 2 have been delayed from the first quarter to the second quarter, again suggesting a schedule pushback.