Benjamin Mayo

In a Chinese language report released by TF Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo over the weekend, the reliable Apple analyst repeats claims that Apple is working on new high-end iPad and MacBook models featuring mini-LED displays.

The iPad and MacBook would use approximately 10,000 LEDs. This number would be far beyond above what the upcoming $6000 Pro Display XDR will use (around 570 for its backlight), with each LED being smaller than 0.2mm.

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Spotify is currently beta testing integration with the new SiriKit audio APIs introduced in iOS 13. As demonstrated by The Verge’s Tom Warren, the current Spotify beta build lets you ask Siri to play music on Spotify.

This OS-level support has not been possible until iOS 13, a point which Spotify previously brought up to the European Union. It’s nice to see that Spotify is moving relatively quickly to adopt the new functionality.

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[Update: Apple has allegedly set theatrical release dates for The Elephant Queen, The Banker, and Hala.]

Apple wants to release Apple TV+ films first in movie theaters with a several-week exclusivity window, according to the Wall Street Journal, before Apple’s originals would be offered on its online streaming service in the TV app.

The strategic move is aimed to attract top Hollywood directors and producers who still like to see their productions premiere in traditional theaters and goes against the Netflix strategy that dictates that its content must be released on its service at the same time it airs in cinemas.

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Apple is searching for European TV shows and movies to bulk out its Apple TV+ streaming service, as new rules to be introduced by the European Commission will force all streaming services to up the proportion of EU-made content.

As reported by Variety, the EU wants to introduce legislation by the end of 2020 that at least 30% of streaming service catalogs must be composed of European-produced content. If Netflix, Disney+, or Apple do not comply, it could become illegal for them to offer their video service in the region.

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Apple released iOS 13 on September 19, exactly a week ago, and it seems to be off to a good start. According to data from Mixpanel, iOS 13 today crossed the 20% adoption mark.

This is slightly ahead of where iOS 12 was at the same point in its launch cycle last year. You also have to take into account the fact that, this year, iPad users could only start getting their hands on the latest operating system version as of Tuesday with the release of iPadOS 13.1.

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The tvOS 13 update for Apple TV set-top boxes rolled out yesterday, and now Apple has started rolling out the new ‘under the sea’ screensavers produced in coordination with the BBC.

There are ten new underwater ‘Aerial’ screensavers offering a beautiful look at corals, shoals of fish, and generally stunning imagery of sea life.

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Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today reports that the 2020 iPhone lineup will feature a redesigned chassis that is a big departure from the current status quo of curved stainless sides (via MacRumors).

Kuo says the new design will be reminiscent to the iPhone 4’s industrial design. We’ve already seen Apple attempt a boxier look with the 2018 iPad Pro.

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Apple’s latest mobile franchise, Mario Kart Tour, is now available to download and play in the App Store.

The game is a mobile-and-touch-friendly interpretation of the Mario Kart series. You can control the wheel of your kart using one finger, just by sliding left and right. It is definitely a more simplified gameplay experience than what players are used to from classic Mario Kart on Nintendo consoles, but it should still make for a fun mobile game.

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Apple today released iPadOS 13.1 for iPad. Head to Settings -> General -> Software Update to get the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system for your tablet. Also, Apple’s latest iPad is shipping tomorrow, with iPadOS.

iPadOS includes all of the same features as iOS 13 like Dark Mode, the redesigned Photos experience, Messages profiles, and a new Reminders app. iPadOS also boasts some tablet-exclusive changes like updates to the Home screen, new multitasking capabilities, and much more…

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Apple focused on two big things for the iPhone 11 lineup: cameras and battery life. In typical battery life tests up to now, the flagship iPhones have performed well but have been outpaced by leading Android phones which ship much larger capacitiy batteries.

However, Apple increased the battery capacity in the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max this year. And the results speak for themselves; in Arun Maini’s battery life test video, the iPhone 11 Pro Max easily beat the leading Android competition.

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Ahead of the public release of tvOS 13, beta testers have noticed that the Apple Arcade app on the Apple TV is now live.

Apple’s subscription service for new and original games debuted last week as part of iOS 13. Apple Arcade will launch on iPad today with the release of iPadOS and iOS 13.1. tvOS 13 is also launching soon.

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Apple today announced that Oprah’s Book Club is today launching inside Apple Books, and an Apple TV+ show of the same name will be available starting November 1st.

The exclusive TV series will feature interviews with authors of the featured books, with new episodes released every two months.

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The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro boasts a 20% faster processor on paper, but how does that translate into real-world use? Not great at least running iOS 13.0 when compared to the iPhone XS.

App launch speed tests aren’t the be all and end all, but they give a reasonable stress test overview that it is at least less synthetic than Geekbench scores. In EverythingApplePro’s video, the iPhone XS actually beat the iPhone 11 Pro by thirty seconds …

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Major apps and games developers including Fortnite, PlayerUnknown: Battlegrounds (PUBG), and other titles are warning players not to update to iOS 13 due to a bug with the triple-finger tap-and-hold gesture.

The text-editing gesture is affecting gameplay as it steals touches from the game, even though there are no textfields visible. This affects lots of apps but especially games that involve players regularly having three fingers on the display, like first-person shooters. The problem is so bad that PUBG is even displaying a warning message in the game.

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The Camera app on iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro has been significantly redesigned. Apple has added new features like Night mode and QuickTake video, but also reworked the layout of the Camera app in the process.

Some controls have been removed, most have been moved to a new location, as well as some new settings. Here’s a full breakdown of what’s new in the iPhone 11 Camera app and how to use it.

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Apple has today released iOS 13 for the iPhone, and watchOS 6 for the Apple Watch, and you can see our roundups for an overview of the new features you can start using right now. However, there’s a lot more still to come as Apple is staggering the software update schedule this year.

There are more features for the iPhone already previewed, and entire OS updates coming over the next month or so. Here’s what Apple has announced so far.

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