Apple
CFPB to Oversee Wallet / Payment Apps
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today finalized a rule to supervise the largest nonbank companies offering digital funds transfer and payment wallet apps, including Google and Apple tap-to-pay services. The CFPB will monitor companies handling more than 50 million transactions per year for compliance with federal law in three key areas: Privacy and Surveillance, Errors and Fraud, and Debanking. Affected companies will be required to make clear their data protection practices and provide adequate opt-outs for certain data collection and sharing practices. Affected companies must also properly investigate and address incorrect or fraudulent transactions. Finally, consumers will have protections against losing access to these services arbitrarily or without notice.
Apple Will Let You Enlist a Stranger to Help Find a Lost Item
Apple has announced a new feature of its Find My service that will let you share a tracked item's location with anyone. Apple gives the example of sharing this information with an airline employee to help find lost luggage with an AirTag, or a device accidentally left on a plane. "Share Item Location" will appear in the Find My app starting with iOS version 18.2, and currently appears in the new public beta version. Apple already lets users share item location with a contact, but this new feature generates a link that can be shared with anyone, and viewed on any device (not just Apple devices). The shared info can include your contact information. The link automatically stops working as soon as you're reunited with your lost item, or after one week, whichever comes first.
Apple Spending $1.5 Billion to Expand Satellite Service
A securities filing has revealed a new deal between Apple and Globalstar that will see Apple spend around $1.5 billion in exchange for "the expansion of iPhone services" as well as a 20% equity stake in Globalstar. Globalstar already provides the orbital satellite network for Apple's satellite communication service for iPhones, including Emergency SOS via satellite and Messages via satellite. Globalstar currently operates 31 satellites and allocates 85% of its network capacity to Apple. The company has ordered as many as 26 new satellites to replenish and upgrade its constellation. Competitors such as Iridium and Skylo provide similar services for non-Apple phones. All of these services require specific support in phone hardware, while SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile are preparing to launch satellite coverage services that work with existing phones.
Apple Intelligence Launches in Beta, Requires Opt-In and Waitlist
Apple has released the final public version of iOS 18.1, which supports a beta version of Apple Intelligence, the company's new suite of AI features. Because it's still in beta, access to Apple Intelligence is not automatic. Users must manually opt in and wait for their turn to download the AI models. Apple's support site explains that users should "go to Settings, tap or click Apple Intelligence & Siri, then tap or click Join the Apple Intelligence Waitlist. Apple Intelligence is usually available for activation within a few hours of joining the waitlist, though wait times can vary. You will receive a notification when you can activate it on your device. On-device Apple Intelligence models will begin to download after activation." The models take up 4 GB of storage. Apple Intelligence on iOS also requires an iPhone 16 or iPhone 15 Pro. It also available only in US English for now. Apple Intelligence includes a smarter Siri, summaries of notifications, messages, & email, search in Photos, writing tools, and more.
iOS 18.2 Will Let Users Worldwide Set Third-Party Apps for Messaging, Calling
Apple has decided to lets iOS users worldwide choose their own default apps for messaging and calling, a welcome update for a feature that was previously expected to be limited to the EU to appease antitrust regulators there. The change will come in iOS 18.2, which just entered beta testing. Apple's own developer web site specifically says the feature is "available for all users worldwide". The options will be part of a new, consolidated "Default Apps" section in Settings, which will also contain options for email, Call Filtering, web browser, and Passwords & Codes. The screen also mentions contactless payments, a new option that appeared in iOS 18.1.
Pebblebee's New Trackers Work with Both Apple and Google Find My Networks
Peeblebee has launched a new lineup of "Universal" Bluetooth item-tracking tags that are the first to be compatible with both Apple Find My and Google's Android Find My Device networks. The $35 tags are rechargeable and come in three form factors: Tag, Card, and Clip. The rectangular Tag is the smallest. The round Clip has a lanyard hole ideal for attaching to keys and bags. The Card is 2.8mm thin to fit into wallets and laptop sleeves. The Clip can charge directly via USB-C, while the Card and Tag come with a magnetic charger. The Tag lasts 8 months on a single charge, while the Clip lasts 12, and the Card, 18. All include a buzzer and lights to aid finding when lost, and are rated IPx6 for water resistance. Both the Apple and Google networks work similarly, by leveraging Bluetooth of smartphones and other connected devices worldwide. Encryption and anonymization ensures privacy and security. Cross-platform anti-stalking features help guard against unwanted tracking.
iOS 18 Lets you use Matter Smart-home Devices Without a Hub
Apple has quietly slipped a new smart-home feature into the just-released iOS 18. You can now set up and use a Matter-compatible smart-home device with just your phone, instead of requiring a separate Matter hub device. (Matter is the new open industry standard for cross-platform smart-home technology.) This new feature enables only manual, local control; a hub is still required to operate devices in an automated way, or remotely. Apple says this new feature works with plug-in or hard-wired devices today, while battery-powered devices may require a firmware update to work in this hub-less mode. Matter devices can use Wi-Fi and/or Thread for wireless connectivity. iOS 18 lets any iPhone connect to a Wi-Fi-enabled Matter device. Connecting to a Thread-only device requires an iPhone with a Thread radio. Google also recently started putting Thread radios in its phones, starting with the Pixel 9 series. This implies that Google may add a similar feature to Android soon.
iOS 18 Available to Everyone Today
iPhone users can now update to the final (non-beta) version of iOS 18. This version was originally announced as bringing "Apple Intelligence" AI features, but these have now been postponed until version 18.1 — expected "next month" — or some aspects of it have been pushed back to an even later update. iOS 18.0 still brings many new features, including support for RCS, which will improve conversations with "green bubble" friends using Android. Such conversations will now support high-quality photos and videos, as well as read receipts. iOS 18 also brings new freedom to customize app icons, and a new Control Center with additional Controls and customization. iPhone users can update by going to Settings, then General, then Software Update. iOS 18 is compatible with the iPhone XR / XS, iPhone 11 series and newer, and the iPhone SE 2nd Generation (2020) or newer.
iPhone 16 Brings More Features to All Price Points, Including New Camera Control
Apple has announced the iPhone 16 series, which — compared to previous years' models — does not restrict as many key features to the Pro models, or to the most-expensive Pro Max model. For example, the all-new Camera Control on the side comes on all four models. All four models can also run Apple Intelligence thanks to the new A18 series of chips with 16-core Neural Engine, although Apple has delayed Apple Intelligence until iOS 18.1 (and some features of it until a later update). The smaller iPhone 16 Pro also has the 5x telephoto camera that was previously exclusive to the Pro Max. The new Camera Control detects light and firm touches, as well as swipe gestures. This provides a faster way to launch the camera and snap photos and videos, as well as adjust settings. A new Visual Intelligence feature lets you use the camera to summon business info from Maps, or add an event to your calendar by pointing at a poster. For other visual searches, it seems to rely on Google Image Search or ChatGPT to identify what you're looking at. The ultra-wide camera has been upgraded with auto-focus, and it captures more light, and doubles as a macro camera. The standard models also gain larger batteries. The Pro models have new, larger displays (6.3- and 6.9-inch) with thinner bezels. They retain titanium bodies and advanced triple cameras. The ultra-wide cameras have been upgraded to 48 megapixels and auto-focus. A new A18 Pro chip has several upgrades over the standard A18 chip in the non-Pro models, including a 6-core GPU (instead of 5-core) and larger CPU caches. This enables it to be 15% faster than last year's A17 Pro. A new thermal system enables up to 20% better sustained performance for gaming, and hardware-accelerated ray-tracing is now up to 2x faster. Upgraded ISP and media functions on the Pro chip enable pro-quality 4K video at 120 fps for new Cinematic Slow Motion features, including real-time color grading and Dolby Vision. The Pro models can also capture Spatial Audio with video, thanks in part to four new "studio-quality" microphones. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus start at $799 and $899, respectively (both with 128 GB storage, also avail. with 256 or 512 GB). The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999, with 128 GB storage (also avail. with 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB). The iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1199, with 256 GB storage (also avail. with 512 GB or 1 TB). Pre-orders begin Friday, with the phones in stores Sept. 20.
AirPods 4 Come With or Without ANC
Apple has announced the 4th-generation AirPods, which come in two versions that look identical but have very different features. As with the AirPods 3, they come with or without a wireless charging case. Both charging case options are now standardized on USB-C, but only the wireless charging version adds a speaker for use with Find My when lost. The pricier model is known as "AirPods 4 with ANC", which — as the name implies — come with Active Noise Cancellation. This includes advanced ANC features like Transparency mode (for hearing a blend of outside noise), Adaptive Audio (intelligent Transparency mode that adapts to a the noise environment), and Conversation Awareness, which lowers media volume when you start speaking to someone. AirPods 4 with ANC will sell for $179. The non-ANC AirPods 4 do not have these features, but sell for just $129. They do still have many new features, including Apple's new H2 chip, a "new acoustic architecture" for better sound, and Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. They also have AI-powered background noise removal, and the ability to answer yes/no questions from Siri with a head nod. The USB-C case is also now smaller, while maintaining 30 hours of total battery life.
Apple Watch Series 10 Puts Larger Display in Thinner, Lighter Body
Apple has refreshed the Apple Watch in its tenth generation with a refined design that's both thinner and lighter, while making the display larger and adding multiple all-new features. The new display is up to 9% larger than the previous generation and offers up to 40% more brightness when viewed at an angle. The aluminum body is 10% thinner and 10% lighter. The premium material option is now polished titanium, which is 20% lighter than the previous stainless steel option. The hardware now includes a loudspeaker than can play music, a larger coil for faster charging (80% in 30 minutes), and a depth gauge + water temperature sensor that automatically activate in water. The new S10 chip that powers the watch includes a 4-core Neural Engine for AI features, including background noise filtering on outbound phone calls and a new Sleep Apnea detection feature. (The Sleep Apnea feature will also come to last year's models via software update.) New apps include: Translate, Tides, and Vitals. The Workout app gains a new kayaking mode. A new Photos face overlaps a person with the displayed time, much like the similar feature already on iPhone. Finish options for aluminum include an all-new polished Jet Black, plus brushed silver and rose gold. Titanium color options include gold, slate gray, and "natural". As usual, it's available in two sizes: 42mm and 46mm, which are compatible with 41mm and 45mm bands for older models (respectively). Pricing starts at $399 for the aluminum version; add $30 for the larger size and/or $100 for cellular connectivity. The titanium version is only offered with cellular, starting at $699; add $50 for the larger size. Pre-orders start now; shipping Sept. 20th.
AirPods Pro Turn Into Hearing Aids with Software Update
Apple has announced a software update for the existing AirPods Pro 2 that will turn them into certified over-the-counter hearing aids for mild-to-moderate hearing loss. The update also brings a new Hearing Test feature that performs a detailed at-home hearing text in five minutes. Finally, a new Hearing Protection mode lets you hear your surroundings while dynamically adjusting for dangerously loud sound levels.
Anker's New Fast Wireless Chargers for iPhone Bring Portability, Affordability
Anker has revealed a new lineup of MagGo chargers in various form factors, that support Qi2 and fast wireless charging at up to 15 watts. Additionally, they feature Apple's Magnetic Power Profile (MPP) technology, which provides more stable and efficient charging. The "MagGo Wireless Charging Station (3-in-1, Foldable Pad)" is an all-new triple wireless charger with one fast-charging pad for a phone, and two 5-watt pads for a watch and earbuds, for example. It folds up into a small ball-like shape for travel. It's available starting today for $90 in white, black, or pink. The "MagGo Wireless Charger (Stand)" offers a premium wireless charging stand with a minimalist design for just $40. It features and a "mechanical rotation system" that offers unique tactile feedback when turning the phone 90º. It's available now in black or white. The "MagGo Power Bank (10K, Slim)" brings full-speed 15-watt charging to a battery that attaches magnetically and is slim enough to hold comfortably in hand while charging. It also includes automatic temperature management to further ensure hand comfort. It's available in white or pink for $70. Anker will also offer the travel charger and power bank in green later this year.
California Mobile ID Coming to Apple Wallet, Google Wallet
This fall, California's existing mobile-ID (mID) program will expand to support an official state-issued ID within Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. (Currently, CA's mobile-ID only works within the state-issued app.) California will join Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and Ohio in supporting IDs in Apple Wallet. Most of those states also support mID in Google Wallet, as both companies' Wallet apps use the same international standard (ISO/IEC 18013-5) to implement mID. The primary use case today for mID is presenting ID to TSA at select airport checkpoints, including some terminals at LAX and SFO. It can also be used for age verification in some apps. When used in person, your phone stays in your possession. ID is presented by tapping your phone or showing a QR code. Only the limited information required is transferred, and you must give active permission. mID in Apple Wallet works on both iPhones and Apple Watch.
Apple Opens up NFC on iPhones with iOS 18.1
Apple is officially opening up the NFC functions of iPhones to third-party apps with the forthcoming iOS version 18.1. This will enable tap (AKA "contactless") transactions in apps other than Apple Wallet. Examples include "in-store payments, car keys, closed-loop transit, corporate badges, student IDs, home keys, hotel keys, merchant loyalty and rewards cards, and event tickets, with government IDs to be supported in the future." Users will even be able to designate an alternate wallet app as the default for tap payments, instead of Apple Pay. Apple is releasing new APIs for developers to access both NFC and the Secure Element hardware that Apple uses to store sensitive information securely. Multiple government regulators around the world have pressured Apple to open up NFC to third parties. As it has done with other concessions to regulators, Apple is restricting access to these new APIs, requiring a contract, fees, and special approval to receive an "entitlement" to use the new APIs.
iOS 18 Reaches Public Beta
Apple has released the first beta version of iOS 18 intended for curious non-developer iPhone users. iOS 18 introduces a bevy of new features, including more customizable home screen and Control Center, redesigned Photos app, and many new features in Messages. As usual, beta versions of OS software should not be installed on anyone's primary device that they rely on. To install a public beta of iOS, users must first enroll in Apple's beta program.
Apple Loosens Some Repair Restrictions
Apple has quietly issued a new paper revealing plans to make it easier to repair iPhones and improve functionality when using third-party parts. Currently, when an iPhone detects that a third-party part has been installed, it disables certain features that require calibration. This includes True Tone — which auto-adusts white balance on the display — and battery health metrics. Those restrictions will be lifted starting later this year. Instead, a small warning will be displayed. Apple will also stop requiring a device serial number when purchasing parts via Apple's Self Service Repair store. The changes come as a wave of new "Right To Repair" laws are being passed in multiple US states and countries abroad.
iOS 18 Brings Fast Pairing to 3rd-Party Wireless Accessories
Apple has quietly introduced a way for third-party wireless accessory makers to implement a new pairing process on iPhone and iPad that's as fast and easy as the one Apple uses for its own AirPods. This "AccessorySetupKit" API is new in iOS 18, currently available in beta for developers. Once users have the manufacturer's app installed, pairing can be as simple as turning on the accessory and bringing it near the phone. A pop-up automatically appears on the phone, and one tap can complete the process, without having to open an app or go into Bluetooth settings. Apple has recently come under government scrutiny in multiple parts of the world for abusing its market position and platform control.
Apple Intelligence Promises Personalized AI, Requires iPhone 15 Pro
Apple today launched Apple Intelligence, its big generative AI effort. Apple Intelligence focuses on personalized on-device AI, but also includes a limited cloud component for more advanced requests, and the option to use OpenAI's ChatGPT for certain types of requests. The on-device component maintains a private "semantic index" of your data like your recent messages, calendar, contacts, and more. This allows Siri to answer new kinds of requests more intelligently, using the context of that data and what's on your screen at the moment. Siri also now maintains conversational context across multiple requests, and can be queried via text instead of voice. New system-wide Writing Tools work across all apps. They can proofread, summarize, and rewrite. Any selected text can be rewritten in any style of your choice. New options offer to summarize long emails or messaging threads for you. Genmoji uses on-device generative AI to create any new emoji you can cream up. More advanced image generation is available via Image Playground, available in Messages and other Apple apps, some third-party apps, and as its own standalone app. Image Playground lets you create a small image based on any prompt. If the image includes a person, you can ask it to make them look like someone specific in your contacts. It will not generate photorealistic images, though, offering only "animation", "illustration", and "sketch" styles. Apple is also introducing a "Cleanup Tool" in Photos that can remove unwanted objects from photos using generative fill, much like Google's Magic Eraser. A new Priority Notifications feature uses the semantic index to understand and highlight which notifications are actually important, and a Reduce Interruptions option hides all non-Priority notifications. When a request cannot be handled on-device, Apple Intelligence sends only the necessary info to Apple's own "Private Cloud Compute" servers for processing, where Apple promises your data is not saved or logged. Apple Intelligence is free to use. Basic use of ChatGPT is also free, and you can link a paid OpenAI account to Apple Intelligence so you can access more advanced ChatGPT features right from Siri. The ChatGPT integration is multimodal, offering both text and images as input and output. Apple says it's working to integrate other models besides ChatGPT. On phones, Apple Intelligence requires the A17 Pro chip, which means it will only work on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, not the standard iPhone 15, nor any older models. It will also be available on tablets and computers using any M-series chip
iOS 18 Overhauls Home Screen, Messaging, Photos
Apple just announced iOS 18 for iPhones. The update will bring a slew of new features, with the biggest changes coming to home screen icons, messaging, and the Photos app. You'll now be able to put app icons anywhere, even at the bottom of the screen. Icons also have a special dark mode appearance, and a monochrome appearance that lets you customize them all to the color of your choice. Other new features let you lock or hide specific apps (and their data) so they're unavailable when you hand your phone to someone else. Finally, there's a new option for extra-large app icons. A major new service is Messages by Satellite, which lets you communicate via iMessage or SMS over a satellite connection even in non-emergency situations. Like Apple's existing SOS service, it requires that you point your phone at a certain part of the sky, which it guides you through. This feature offers end-to-end encryption. As promised, Messages now supports RCS for rich messaging compatibility with Android phones. iMessage will also now let you Tapback with any emoji, and apply formatting and animations ("Text effects") to your text. Finally, Messages will now let you schedule messages to be sent automatically at a later time. The Photos app gets a complete redesign, with a single home screen that shows the photos grid in the upper half and Collections below that. New automatic Collections include Recent Day and Trips, as well as People and Pets to group photos by who's in them. The grid has date tools and filters. Maps gains topographical maps, including offline hiking maps. Tap to Cash lets you send money to someone else just be tapping your phones together. Apple Wallet also gains enhanced event tickets that automatically include venue info, including maps. The Mail app gains new automatic Categorization. A new Game Mode minimizes background activity for better performance, and improves audio latency. Control Center also gets a major upgrade with third-party Controls, multiple pages of controls, and the ability to re-arrange and even resize controls. Third-party Controls can be assigned to lock screen shortcuts or the physical action button on iPhones that have one. A new feature of macOS called iPhone Mirroring lets you wirelessly view and use your iPhone from your Mac. It also integrates your iPhone notifications with your Mac notifications. Apple also introduced whole new password manager called Passwords, that's available for iOS and many other platforms. A beta version of iOS 18 will be available to developers today. Apple promises a public beta next month, and the final version this fall.
Eye Tracking Coming to iPhones
Apple has announced several new accessibility features coming to iOS and iPadOS later this year. Eye Tracking will let you control your iPhone using just eye movements. Dwell Control will let users activate elements and access "additional functions such as physical buttons, swipes, and other gestures solely with their eyes." Eye Tracking uses the front-facing camera and on-device machine learning. Another feature called Vocal Shortcuts will let users "assign custom utterances that Siri can understand to launch shortcuts and complete complex tasks." Finally, Music Haptics lets users who are deaf or hard of hearing experience music via taps, textures, and refined vibrations generated by the iPhone's Taptic Engine. The feature will work in Apple Music and third-party apps can support it with a new API.
iOS 17.5 Out Now with Cross-Platform Unwanted Tracking Protection
Apple has released the final version of iOS 17.5 to the public. The most notable new feature is support for the new Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers cross-platform specification. This anti-stalking technology will let you know if a Bluetooth tracking device is moving with you that is not yours. iOS previously had this feature for its own AirTags, but now it will work with trackers designed for Google's ecosystem as well. iOS 17.5 also brings a number of important security fixes, so most iPhone users should upgrade as soon as possible. iPhone users can update to 17.5 by going to Settings, General, Software Update, and choosing "Update Now".
Beats Launches Smaller, More Affordable Earbuds
Beats today announced the all-new Beats Solo Buds true wireless earbuds, as well as an update to its iconic headphones, the Beats Solo 4. The Beats Solo Buds are the brand's smallest earbuds yet, and will sell for just $80. They have Class 1 long-range Bluetooth, one-touch pairing for both iOS and Android, and Apple Find My. The earbud buttons are customizable. Unusually, the only batteries are in the buds themselves; the case is for charging the buds via USB-C but does not have a battery itself. The buds can provide up to 18 hours of battery life and a five-minute charge gives up to one hour of play time. They come with four sizes of ear tips. The Beats Solo Buds will be available in June in Matte Black, Storm Gray, Arctic Purple, and Transparent Red. The Beats Solo 4 bring Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking to the iconic over-ear headphones. They also support wired audio via USB-C or 3.5mm ports. Battery life has been improved to 50 hours. The Beats Solo 4 are available for order starting today for $200. They come in Matte Black, Slate Blue, and Cloud Pink.
IHG Rolls Out Hotel TVs with AirPlay
IHG has flipped the switch on Apple AirPlay at 60 of its North American hotels. The wireless media-casting feature is now available in hotel rooms via LG TVs with a special implementation designed just for hotels. Guests scan a unique QR code displayed on their room TV, and this connects their Apple device to the hotel Wi-Fi and directly to the TV in their room. AirPlay works for video, music, photos, workouts, games, and more. Multiple Apple devices can be paired to the same hotel TV at once. The pairings are automatically deleted when the guest checks out of the hotel. 60 hotels under various brands — including Kimpton, Indigo, Candlewood, and InterContinental — are launching the feature today, "with others to be added in the coming months." IHG first announced its AirPlay plans in June of last year, originally promising to launch it before the end of 2023.
Apple Expands Repair Program with Support for Used Parts
Apple is expanding its third-party and self-repair programs to allow the use of used genuine Apple parts when repairing iPhones. The company will also no longer require a device serial number when ordering parts. A new feature will prevent used parts from working fully if they came from a device reported lost or stolen (a device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled). Apple's unique Parts and Service history, located within Settings on iOS, shows repair information and will soon "show whether a part is a new or used genuine Apple part." The use of used parts will come to "select iPhone models this fall". In the interest of "iPhone user's privacy, security, and safety", there are still restrictions on biometric sensors used for Face ID or Touch ID, but "future iPhone releases will have support for used biometric sensors." Apple apparently still uses some form of "parts pairing", a controversial practice. But "beginning this fall, calibration for genuine Apple parts, new or used, will happen on device after the part is installed", a new process that should significantly streamline third-party repairs and self-repair.
Apple Brings Qi2 Support to iPhone 12
The iPhone 12 launched with support for fast 15-watt wireless charging, but only with Apple MagSafe chargers. Macworld reports that iOS 17.4 quietly introduced support for fast wireless charging with third-party chargers using the Qi2 standard.
Oregon Right-to-Repair Law Bans Parts Pairing
Oregon has officially passed its own "right to repair" law, joining California, Minnesota and New York. Oregon's law goes further than other states', however, by banning "parts pairing", a practice where components are linked to a specific device serial number. Apple has increasingly deployed this practice with its devices, including iPhones, making them more difficult to repair. Even when properly replacing a part with a genuine replacement, that the device may refuse to use that component, or use it with limited functionality, or throw up a warning to the user that the part is "unidentified". This part of the law goes into effect with products made after January 1, 2025. Other parts of the law take effect sooner. Companies will have to provide parts, tools, and documentation necessary for repairing smartphones made starting July 1, 2021, a date that aligns with the new California and Minnesota right-to-repair laws.
Google and Apple Announce Next Big Keynote Events
Google and Apple both have big annual developer events coming up in the next few months. As usual, each will kick off with a major livestreamed keynote. Major new software is typically revealed at these events, including for smartphones. First up is Google I/O, which kicks off on May 14th at 10am Pacific. Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) follows on June 10th.
US Justice Dept. Sues Apple for Monopolistic Behavior in Smartphones
The US Justice Department, joined by 16 other attorneys general, today filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple for illegal monopolization of smartphone markets. The move comes after the EU forced Apple to change the way it operates in Europe, for similar reasons. Specifically, the Justice Dept. claims several specific offenses:
- Disrupting the growth of "super apps" with broad functionality that would make it easier to switch platforms.
- Suppressing streaming game apps and certain other cloud-based applications.
- Making cross-platform messaging worse, less innovative, and less secure to create platform lock-in.
- Limiting the functionality of smartwatches when used with other platforms.
- Limiting third-party apps from offering tap-to-pay functionality.
Tap to Pay on iPhone Comes to Venmo, Zettle
PayPal announced that it now supports Tap to Pay on iPhone for Venmo business profile and PayPal Zettle users in the US. This allows small businesses to accept NFC tap payments directly with just an iPhone; no extra hardware required. Customers need only their usual contactless payment method, be it a physical card or their phone (Apple Pay or Google Pay); customers do not need the Venmo app, for example. In both apps, the new feature fully supports taxes, tips, receipts, and refunds. Apple announced Tap to Pay on iPhone in early 2022, and Square added support for it in late 2022.
iOS 17.4, Out Today, Brings Transcripts to Apple Podcasts
iOS version 17.4 is officially available for iPhones starting today. One major new feature of the update is podcast transcripts in the Apple Podcasts app. The feature improves accessibility and gives users a new option in other scenarios where listening to audio may be difficult. Text stays in sync with audio, highlighting the current word. Crucially, it also includes a search feature, which lets you search for any word or phrase and tap it jump to that part of the podcast. Starting today, transcripts are available for English-, French-, Spanish-, and German-language podcasts with iOS 17.4. Transcripts will automatically be available for new episodes shortly after episodes are published; previously released episodes will be transcribed over time.
Apple Upgrades iMessage Encryption for Quantum Threat
Apple announced that it is upgrading the end-to-end encryption in iMessage to guard against the threat that future quantum computers may be able to easily defeat today's traditional encryption. Although no such quantum computer is known to exist today, it is possible that today's encrypted messages could be intercepted, stored, and decrypted by a future quantum computer; hence the need to move to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) today. Apple's new "PQ3" messaging protocol does this, along with several other security enhancements. The protocol includes periodic "rekeying", to ensure that even if a one key is compromised, only part of a conversation could be decrypted. It also utilizes a hybrid approach that combines PQC and a more traditional ECC algorithm, so that if flaws are found in the new PQC algorithm, content is still protected by proven ECC encryption. Support for PQ3 is included in iOS 17.4. PQ3 will fully replace the existing protocol within all supported conversations this year.
Apple Launches its own Free Sports App
Apple today launched Apple Sports, a free iPhone app for tracking sports scores and related info. Users can customize their scoreboards by following their favorite teams, info that is synced with the Apple TV app and Apple News. Besides scores the app also shows upcoming games, play-by-play information, team stats, lineup details, and live betting odds. For in-progress games, tap to watch the game live, via Apple TV and "connected streaming apps". It currently includes MLS, NBA, NCAA basketball, NHL, Premier League, and more. It will also support MLB, NFL, NCAAF, NWSL, and WNBA as those leagues start their upcoming seasons. The app is available today for the US, Canada, and UK.
Apple Changes Position, Will Allow Streaming Games in App Store
Apple is changing its App Store rules to allow game-streaming services as well as "mini-apps, mini-games, chatbots, and plug-ins" in iOS apps. "Developers can now submit a single app with the capability to stream all of the games offered in their catalog." Apple previously prohibited this type of app, requiring a whole separate app to be submitted for each game. Apple will still apply all of its other App Store rules to all experiences available from within the app. Such apps will need to carry the age rating of the highest age-rated content available within that app, so a single game rated 17+/Mature available could cause a whole game platform to be rated 17+, for example. The changes will also permit scenarios such as one app that offers individual chatbot subscriptions via Apple's in-app purchase mechanism. Apple also promises to "provide enhanced discovery opportunities" for these new experiences within apps.
Apple Resumes Watch Sales with Blood Oxygen Features Disabled
Apple is once again selling its Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the US, but with the blood-oxygen monitoring features disabled. Apple is in the middle of a legal battle with Masimo over a patent on blood-oxygen monitoring technology. The most recent ruling was against Apple, but the company is appealing. A separate ruling affirmed that Apple could sell the watches with the disputed features removed or disabled. Apple was forced to pause sales of these models for a period that included some of the holiday shopping season. The feature is only disabled in new watches; existing watches are unaffected by this import and sales ban.
Apple Passes Samsung in Phone Shipments
Apple shipped more phones than Samsung for the first time ever in 2023. Samsung had led the sales charts since 2010, when Nokia was #1. The shipment numbers have not been not confirmed by the companies, but two different research companies that track this information — IDC and Canalys — have reached essentially the same conclusion. IDC claims that Apple managed to grow both total shipments and market share in 2023, a year when most competitors saw a drop in phone shipments.
Apple vs. Epic Battle Over App Store Comes to an End
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take up the case of Epic Games vs. Apple, leaving in place the most recent rulings of lower courts and effectively ending the years-long legal battle over Apple's App Store rules in the U.S. The end result is that Apple will not be forced to open iPhones to competing app stores and payment systems within iOS. However Apple is being forced to allow app developers to direct their customers to alternative subscription and payment options outside its ecosystem, such as on the web. Central to the issue is the 30% commission that Apple collects on in-app purchases in iOS apps.
New Case Adds Keyboard to iPhone Pro
Clicks is a new case accessory for recent iPhone Pro models that adds a full physical QWERTY keyboard to the bottom of the phone. By disabling the software keyboard when in use, it frees up the lower half of the display for content while typing. It also provides faster access to shortcuts, including Home and Search. The keyboard is backlit and the device provides pass-through Lightning or USB-C connections for easy phone charging. The wired connection also offers a reliable link between the keyboard and the phone, and doesn't require a separate battery for the keyboard. Clicks is a creation of Michael Fisher (known as MrMobile), and Kevin Michaluk (known as CrackBerry Kevin), "together with a team with mobile experience from companies including Apple, BlackBerry, and Google." Clicks is available for order starting today two colors: yellow and gray. Three models are available: Clicks for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro sell for $139 and ship on Feb. 1 and mid-March, respectively. A model for the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max ships in early spring for $159.
Beeper Mini's Newest (Cumbersome) Workaround Will be its Last
Beeper Mini has a new solution for using iMessage on an Android phone, but it requires a jailbroken iPhone left plugged in and turned on, as well as a Mac or Linux computer. Apple has found ways to shut down previous versions of Beeper Mini that did not require this extra hardware. Beeper says of its new solution: "we believe we’ve created something that Apple can tolerate existing." However, if Apple does shut down the new version of the service, Beeper says it will abandon the project.
Apple to Allow Discounts for Competing Subscriptions
Apple has announced to developers a new feature of its App Store that will enable companies to "give customers a discounted subscription price as long as they're actively subscribed to a different subscription". The feature is being rolled out slowly to select developers.
