#Apple - Page 8

The US Department of Justice and 16 district attorneys general have officially filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple for the iPhone ecosystem monopoly. The lawsuit accuses Apple of raising prices for consumers and imposing higher fees on developers and creators to make its users more reliant on iPhones and crush doen the competition. Apple has raised its voice to “vigorously defend” itself against the claims.

Apple and Google are actively negotiating to build Google's Gemini Artificial Intelligence engine into an iPhone. This could be one of the blockbuster deals that could shake up the AI industry. The Google partnership could help Apple to deliver a range of generative AI features on its devices. While Apple and Google are actively negotiating, a final deal will not be announced until at least June.

Apple is allowing developers to offer their iOS apps for download directly from the website. Later this spring, Apple will launch a new “Web Distribution” feature via a software update that allows developers to distribute their iOS apps from their own website. Interested developers have to meet certain eligibility criteria and pay the Core Technology Fee of €0.50 for every first annual installation over one million installs.

Apple reportedly developed a powerful chip equivalent to four M2 Ultras combined. Apple Silicon team was heavily involved in the car project and the development of the new chip was "nearly finished". Apple has officially cancelled its decade-long, multi-billion-dollar electric car project. 

Apple has released visionOS 1.1, the first major update for Vision Pro. the update brings improvements to Personas, EyeSight and virtual keyboard. With the latest visionOS update, Personas are a bit more detailed and EyeSight has also improved with better rendering of eyes. It also brings bug fixes for a couple of known bugs in Vision Pro.

Apple announces its much-buzzed M3 MacBook Air lineup in 13-inch and 15-inch options. The new M3 MacBook Air is claimed to be the “world’s best consumer laptop for AI" in the press release. The 13-inch M3 MacBook Air starts at $1099, and the 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1299. Both models are available for up for pre-orders starting today, with shipping starting as early as March 8.

New reports have surfaced that suggest Apple will announce its new products this week via press releases. Apple might launch a new M2 iPad Air, OLED iPad Pro with M3 chip, Magic Keyboard, M3 MacBook Air, Apple Pencil, iPhone cases, and Apple Watch bands in March. Besides, a new Apple TV and a HomePod with a display are likely to be in Apple's pipeline of upcoming 2024 products.

A new leak posted on X (formerly Twitter) reveals chip details of 16 new Apple devices. We might see iPad 11th-gen models with A14 Bionic chip, iPad Mini 7 with A17, 2024 iPad Air models with M2, and the OLED iPad Pro models with M3 processor. The iPhone 16 series is expected to feature an A18 chipset.

Apple is getting ready for a major rebrand of Apple ID to "Apple Account", several sources told MacRumors. Some Apple support documents already have mentions of "Apple Account". We might see this Apple ID rebranding later this year along with iOS 18 and macOS 15. At the moment, it isn't clear why Apple is considering a new name for Apple ID.

Apple has reportedly cancelled its electric car project after a decade-long, multi-billion-dollar effort to rival Tesla. According to Bloomberg, Apple's senior executives decided to wind down the electric car project in recent weeks. Nearly 2000 employees were working on the project, some employees will be moved to Apple’s Generative AI team led by John Giannandrea. Others might be asked to switch to other Apple teams and there will be layoffs as well.

Several developers have voiced their concerns about the state of Apple Arcade and they think the gaming subscription service is on the verge of death because of declining payments to developers, Apple's reluctance to greenlit a project and shrinking bonus pool. It is possible that (another) Arcade reboot is on the cards.

Fresh listings of Snapdragon X Elite have appeared on Geekbench, and the scores suggest that it's quite close to the Apple M2 Pro chipset having 12 CPU cores. The results indicate that OEMs are testing the 23W version of Snapdragon X Elite on a preview build of Windows 11 with 32GB of RAM. While the results are promising, we will have to wait and see whether commercial laptops launched with the upcoming Snapdragon X Elite SoC deliver similar performance.

Apple Vision Pro users have complained that it is quite heavy and uncomfortable to wear even with the Dual Loop band. Well, some users have come up with an Ingenious mod where they are using CPAP machine straps that are quite affordable.

With numerous patents under its belt, Apple smart ring has been a concept for more than a decade now. A new report from Korea now claims that Apple is speeding up the development of its smart ring that can be worn on the finger to track health biometrics. Apple Ring is expected to be a direct rival to the upcoming Galaxy Ring from Samsung, which will debut later in 2024.

According to Mark Gurman, Apple is probably at least 18 months away from launching a second-generation Vision Pro. Recently, several users have started returning their Vision Pro headsets. Some users find the headset heavy and difficult to manage, while others feel that it doesn't justify the huge $3500 price tag. The second generation of Vision Pro is expected to fix the common issues that users are having with the first one.

According to a latest report by Bloomberg, Apple is considering to power Spotlight Search using Large Language Model (LLM). This will allow users to access features of third-party apps directly from Spotlight Search. Additionally, Xcode will also get Copilot-like features to help coders.

Apple launches Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Devices apps to replace iTunes for Windows. These dedicated apps allow Windows users to listen to music, watch content, and manage devices on their machines. The apps only work on Windows 10 and later, and a user has to download all three of them. Once a user has downloaded the trio of apps, iTunes is used only to access podcasts and audiobooks. The standalone apps offer a more simpler and modern experience that closely mirrors Mac interfaces.

Apple confirmed that "Vision Pro isn't compatible with Bluetooth mice". The mixed-reality headset is compatible with most Bluetooth keyboards made by Apple and third-party manufacturers, and also the Apple Magic Trackpad. Besides, Vision Pro is compatible with all the current models of AirPods and Beat headphones, all MFi controllers, and all MFi hearing devices.

Apple extends its deal with Qualcomm to continue using the company's 5G modem chips until March 2027. This news was confirmed by Qulacomm's CEO during the company's first earning call of 2024. Apple has been working hard to develop its in-house modem chip but it has seen several delays. The upcoming iPhone 16 Pro models will pack a brand-new Qualcomm X75 modem for 5G improvements. 

After Epic Games and Spotify, Microsoft now calls Apple's revised App Store guidelines in the EU "a step in the wrong direction." First spotted in December 2023, Microsoft is quietly developing an alternative Xbox app store for iPhones. It seems Microsoft isn't happy with Apple's fees and commissions on app installs and third-party payment mechanisms. At the moment, Microsoft, Nvidia, and other big cloud gaming providers haven't reacted to Apple's plans to open up the App Store to game streaming apps. 

According to the latest patent, Apple is developing a waterproof iPhone with an underwater user interface. The patent was awarded to Apple last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which envisions Apple's commitment to developing waterproof iPhones. It describes how the iOS system can adapt to the underwater environment so the iPhone is easy to use.

Apple introduces sideloading with iOS 17.4 along with a couple of new changes coming to Safari and App Store. Apple will allow users in the Europe to choose their default browsing app and app developers will be allowed to feature external payment links within the apps. Moreover, Apple has also reduced App Store commissions to 10-17% as compared to 30%.

Apple is set to be leading the charge in acquiring TSMC's upcoming 2nm chip technology, with production expected in late 2025. The transition from 3nm to 2nm will need TSMC to adopt GAAFET technology, which do adds complexity but will allow for faster speeds.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple Vision Pro achieved immediate success with an instant sell-out during the first pre-oder weekend. However concerns arises as shipping times remained unchanged 48 hours later unlike popular iPhone models. The report acknowledges Apple's ability to reach a shipment volume of 500,000 Apple Vision Pro but highlights the critical issue of sustaining demand growth over time.

In a recent press release, Apple reveals that the Vision Pro headset will come with Guest mode and Travel mode. Guest mode in Vision Pro will allow you to share the Vision Pro with your friends; the access will have a limited data exposure. On the other hand, the Travel mode will ensure stable visual when wearing Vision Pro while you are in a airplane.

With an in-depth 25-minute demo at Apple retail stores, the Cupertino tech giant aims to guide users through a meticulous fitting process and showcase the Vision Pro's features. The demo process covers personalized fittings, an immersive interface explanation, calibration exercises, and more.

Beijing Municipal Justice Bureau has shared in an online post that forensic experts at Beijing Wangshendongjian Forensic Institute have devised a technical breakthrough that can be used to crack Apple AirDrop and identify senders' email addresses and mobile numbers. The institute used the Rainbow Table technique to crack passwords.

Apple Vision Pro will be available starting February 2, 2024 at all Apple Retail stores in the US and the pre-orders for the Vision Pro headset will start from January 19, 2023 onwards. Additionally, Apple has revealed that the base variant of Vision Pro will have 256GB storage and there will be two band options - Solo Knit Band and Dual Loop Band.

In his weekly newsletter, Mark Gurman has unveiled that Apple Vision Pro launch date announcement is imminent and Apple could announce the launch date as soon as next week. Vision Pro headsets have already started shipping to warehouses across the US and will Apple retail outlets in time for launch by February 1, 2024. Also, Apple has shortlisted Canada, China, and UK as the next regions where Vision Pro will be launched.

Reports from the Chinese investor news website Wall Street Insights indicate that Apple's highly anticipated Vision Pro mixed reality headset could hit the market earlier than expected, contrary to earlier rumors suggesting a later release. As per the latest report, Apple Vision Pro launch date in the U.S. is January 27, 2024. However, this particular news website has unproven records for rumors when it comes to Apple.

After the EU, Japan is also said to be planning to enforce regulations requiring Apple to allow sideloading on iOS devices, enabling users to download apps from sources outside the App Store. This move challenges Apple's closed ecosystem, emphasizing user choice. The regulations are expected to arrive sometime next year and will allow the Japanese government to levy fines for violations.