MacRumors

Apple is working on MagSafe-compatible battery packs that will be compatible with the iPhone 12 models, and leaker Jon Prosser today said on the Genius Bar podcast that one version of the battery pack will feature "reverse charging."

According to Prosser, Apple is working on two versions of the battery packs, one that's a standard version and one that's a premium version with reverse charging. Prosser does not go into detail on reverse charging, but presumably this means that the battery pack will be able to charge an ‌iPhone‌ 12 while also charging AirPods from the other side at the same time.

Prosser has a mixed track record when it comes to predicting Apple's plans and is not always accurate, so the reliability of this information is unclear and should be viewed with some skepticism until confirmed. Prosser claims that his source is "not sure" if Apple will release both of these battery packs or if only one will launch, so we may not see a version with reverse charging debut. Later this week, Prosser plans to release renders of the battery packs based on information from his source.

Apple's work on ‌iPhone‌ 12 battery packs became apparent in mid-February after the launch of the second iOS 14.5 beta. There was a mention of a mysterious "battery pack" discovered in the code by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, and Bloomberg later confirmed that Apple is indeed working on an ‌iPhone‌ 12 MagSafe battery pack.

Gurman did not mention a reverse charging possibility, but some of the prototypes were described as having a white rubber exterior. Gurman said that development on the accessory has been hindered by software issues that Apple is still working on fixing before releasing the accessory.

Bilateral wireless charging was rumored for the 2019 ‌iPhone‌ 11 models, but it did not end up being a feature that Apple implemented because the company wasn't able to make it work. Two way wireless charging would have allowed an ‌iPhone‌ to charge another ‌iPhone‌ or to charge a small accessory like the AirPods.

After neglecting the app for several months, Google today finally updated Gmail on the App Store for the first time in exactly three months.

Today's update, version 6.0.210124, says it includes "Bug fixes and performance improvements," but it is a notable update given it's the first one the app has seen in months. Alongside Gmail, Google Meet, Google Sheets, Google Docs, Google Calander, and Google Tasks have also received app updates today, with Google Tasks adding new iOS 14 widgets.

As with nearly all Google apps on the ‌App Store‌, Gmail had remained without a proper app update for months. Initial speculation was that Google was holding back app updates as a way to delay having to disclose to users its privacy practices. Updates for Google's more popular apps have started rolling out over the past few weeks, and Gmail is certainly one of the most high-profile ones to finally see an update.

Announced at WWDC 2020 and rolled out officially in December, Apple's privacy "nutrition labels" require developers to provide users detailed information about what data they collect and whether they share that data with third parties. As of early December, developers must provide this privacy information before a new or updated app can be made available on the ‌App Store‌.

Google updated Gmail with privacy labels just over a week ago, but the app itself was not updated until today.

Lawyers for Epic Games and Apple today participated in a management conference with Judge Yvonne Gonzalez to hammer out the details of an upcoming bench trial, which is now confirmed to take place on May 3.

Judge Gonzalez is planning to hold an in-person trial that will require all witnesses to travel to Northern California to answer questions before the court and the judge. She believes that the case is significant enough that the court should hear it in person, with witnesses in the case less likely to lie when sworn in in a physical courtroom.

Health considerations will be taken into account for witnesses that aren't able to travel to California, but the court will look into people who say they can't visit the court in person.

The judge said that the people involved and the companies involved have the available resources to quarantine for two weeks after the trial. The court plans to put measures in place to keep participants safe, including a limited number of people in the courtroom. Witnesses will be positioned far from the attorneys in the case, with distance between parties, and enough space will be given that witnesses can speak clearly without masks.

Based on the COVID numbers in May, the in-person trial could be set aside, but the case will go forward in May no matter what, even if it is held entirely over Zoom. The judge is pushing for a two to three week trial, while ‌Epic Games‌ wants it to last four to five weeks, with the exact length to be determined later when all of the case details are ironed out.

The Epic vs. Apple trial will delve into Epic's accusation that Apple is a "behemoth seeking to control markets, block competition, and stifle innovation" by imposing "anti-competitive restraints" against App Store developers and employing "monopolistic practices in markets."

‌Epic Games‌ will argue that the 30 percent cut that Apple takes from apps is "oppressive" as is the rule that requires developers to use in-app purchases. Apple lowered the 30 percent fee to 15 percent for developers earning under $1 million, but that does not apply to ‌Epic Games‌.

Apple will attempt to prove that its ‌App Store‌ prices are fair and in line with other competitors in the market, and that its ‌App Store‌ policies offer important protections for consumers.

All 270 Apple retail stores in the United States have been reopened as of today, marking the first time that Apple has had all locations operational since stores began closing in March 2020.

When the first shutdowns occurred on March 14, 2020, Apple initially planned to reopen stores starting on March 27th, but that did not happen and stores have been opening and closing on a rotating basis as the pandemic has continued.

Some stores began reopening in May 2020, but until today, not all locations were opened back up. Stores in Texas, including those in Houston, and Dallas, were the last to reopen after winter storms that affected the area.

As noted by 9to5Mac, there are still restrictions at many of the Apple Stores in the U.S. Some are offering in-store shopping appointments, while others are only set up for Express pickup of online orders and Genius Support appointments.

Apple uses local health and safety guidelines to dictate which stores operate, so there is still a chance that there could be additional shutdowns going forward should there be a change in a particular state.

Outside of the U.S., there are still stores closed in France and Brazil.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

In a wide-ranging research note today outlining a roadmap for the iPhone lineup, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared a tidbit on Apple's foldable ‌iPhone‌ plans, indicating that the company could launch a device with a 7.5–8 inch display in 2023.

A 2023 launch would be dependent on Apple being able to solve "key technology and mass production issues" this year. He says the product has "not yet officially kicked off," so it appears to still be in the research stage and previous rumors have indicated Apple could still decide not to proceed with it.

Rumors of a foldable ‌iPhone‌ have been rampant as other manufacturers have launched products with varying designs. Reports have indicated that Apple has been working with both Samsung and LG on foldable OLED display technology, with another recent report claiming the display would be in the range of 7.3–7.6 inches and support Apple Pencil.

At least some 2022 iPhone models will abandon the notch and switch to a "punch-hole display design" instead, similar to Samsung's recent high-end Galaxy smartphones, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in a research note obtained by MacRumors.

Kuo said the hole-punch display design will be adopted by high-end 2022 iPhones at a minimum, and if production yields are good enough, all 2022 iPhone models may use this design. Kuo did not provide any further details as to how Apple would house Face ID components without the notch, should the facial recognition system continue to be used.

Apple is rumored to be planning under-display Touch ID on at least some future iPhones, while Chinese smartphone maker ZTE recently showed off an under-display 3D facial recognition system, so perhaps Apple will explore a similar solution.

Kuo said that if development goes smoothly, at least one new high-end iPhone in 2023 will feature an under-display fingerprint scanner, a periscope telephoto camera, and a real full-screen display design with no notch or holes. Apple may also launch a new lower-end iPhone with around a 6-inch LCD screen, Face ID, and a price tag below $600 in the first half of 2023 to replace the iPhone 11, according to Kuo.

Kuo also said the front camera on 2022 iPhone models will feature autofocus.

The next-generation version of the iPhone SE won't appear until the first half of 2022, according to a new research note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Early rumors had indicated that a third-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE could appear in the first half of 2021, but later rumors suggested it wouldn't appear until at least the second half of the year if not early in 2022. There have been rumors of a larger "‌iPhone‌ SE Plus" version and possible upgrades like a full-front display with a Touch ID power button rather than a Home button, but Kuo's latest note suggests the new model won't include many obvious changes.

According to Kuo, the new ‌iPhone‌ SE will be very similar to the existing model, with the biggest changes being 5G support and an upgraded processor.

Apple will release the new iPhone SE model in 1H22. The exterior design and most specifications are similar to the existing 4.7-inch iPhone SE. The biggest change is to support 5G and processor upgrades.

The current ‌iPhone‌ SE was introduced in April 2020 and is based strongly on the ‌iPhone‌ 8 but with some upgraded internals like an A13 chip from the ‌iPhone‌ 11 lineup.

Kuo says that he believes that the ‌iPhone‌ user experience will "significantly improve" if Apple were to adopt a ‌Touch ID‌ power button as was previously rumored for the next-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE, but he has "no visibility on the timing" for adoption of the feature.

iPhone 13 models will all feature a smaller notch, while the two Pro models will be equipped with low-power LTPO display technology for a 120Hz refresh rate, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in a research note obtained by MacRumors.

Several other sources have previously claimed that some iPhone 13 models will support a 120Hz refresh rate, including display industry analyst Ross Young, leakers Jon Prosser and Max Weinbach, and others. 2017 and newer iPad Pro models have a "ProMotion" display with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz.

Kuo said the iPhone 13 lineup will consist of the same four models as the iPhone 12 lineup, all with a Lightning connector and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X60 modem, which offers several 5G networking improvements.

As previously rumored, Kuo said the iPhone 12 Pro Max's sensor-shift image stabilization will expand to the entire iPhone 13 lineup. He also expects iPhone 13 Pro models to feature an upgraded Ultra Wide camera lens with a wider ƒ/1.8 aperture and autofocus, compared to ƒ/2.4 on iPhone 12 models, as Barclays analysts said last month.

Kuo has previously predicted that at least one high-end iPhone model would feature a portless design in 2021, but his research note today claims that there will be "no portless design" this year after all, with the Lightning connector sticking around.

"If the iPhone abandons Lightning in the future, it may directly adopt the portless design with MagSafe support instead of using a USB-C port," wrote Kuo, noting that USB-C is less waterproof than Lightning. "At present, the MagSafe ecosystem is not mature enough, so the iPhone will continue to use the Lightning port in the foreseeable future."

All four iPhone 13 models will feature larger battery capacities compared to iPhone 12 models, according to Kuo, thanks to space-saving design choices such as integrating the SIM card slot with the logic board and reducing the thickness of some Face ID components. The larger batteries will make all iPhone 13 models slightly heavier, Kuo said.

Kuo said the rear LiDAR Scanner will remain limited to iPhone 13 Pro models, dismissing a rumor that it would be expanded to more models.

Kuo added that Apple does not plan to release a new iPhone SE until the first half of 2022. He said the new model will have a similar design as the existing 4.7-inch iPhone SE, with key new features including a faster chip and 5G support.

Apple faces a new class-action lawsuit that accuses it of deliberately releasing iOS updates that slowly reduce the performance of an iPhone, forcing customers to upgrade their devices.

The lawsuit comes from the Portuguese Consumer Protection Agency, Deco Proteste (via Marketeer), which in a statement says that it will proceed with a case against the Cupertino tech giant because it "deliberately manipulated, and without informing its users, the performance of its most popular devices... in doing so, it forced thousands of users to replace the battery of their devices or buy a new smartphone, to their expectations."

In particular, the agency references the ‌iPhone‌ 6, 6 Plus, 6S, and 6S Plus, but says any Portuguese consumer, regardless of which ‌iPhone‌ model they have, can join in its fight to defend their "economic interests" and the environment. Additionally, the agency pinpoints the release of iOS 11 as the start of the case.

According to the agency, Apple was aware that the update would "have considerable impacts on ‌iPhone‌ performance." Yet, it still "encouraged its users to update the devices." Those who did update their device were "faced with a slow phone, with a weak performance and unexpected "blackouts," according to the statement.

Aware that it would cause slowness in devices, performance breaks, and unexpected blackouts, Apple encouraged iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, or 6S Plus users to update their devices with the latest version of their operating system. In doing so, he knew they would prefer new iPhones, not other brands, given the high loyalty of their customers.

Deco Proteste and Euroconsumer, a more extensive European consumer protection agency group, say they've been attempting to come to a resolution for consumers impacted by Apple's "programmed obsolescence" for the past three years, but have had no luck. Apple was forced to pay a fine of 10 million euros in Italy following an Italian consumer protection agency investigation. Deco Proteste says "Portuguese consumers deserve the same treatment," hence its intent to move forward with the lawsuit.

As part of its push to encourage Portuguese consumers to join in their legal battle, Deco Proteste has produced a short video titled "Some apples are spoiled ahead of time." The agency is also encouraging the use of the hashtag #stopobsolescenciaiiPhone6.

The U.S. Supreme Court will today hear arguments about whether the systems used by technology companies, including Apple and Google, to invalidate patents and see off litigation are unconstitutional (via Bloomberg).

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), set up by Congress in 2011, has invalidated more than 2,000 patents. Apple is the single biggest user of the patent review board, having successfully attacked as many as 200 patents through it, and has said that it relies on "Congress's promise of a fair and efficient forum to challenge what often prove to be woefully weak patents that should not have issued in the first instance." Other users of the PTAB include Intel, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, and Samsung.

The PTAB has been dubbed a "death squad" due to its tendency to toss out patents, and some smaller inventors believe that the board has become an anticompetitive tool for large companies. It is alleged that the PTAB's judges may be serving in violation of the Constitution due to the amount of power they wield.

According to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which handles most patent disputes, PTAB judges have important enough powers that they should be appointed directly by the president and confirmed by the Senate as "principal officers."

On the other hand, the Justice Department is urging the Supreme Court to leave the current system in place, saying that patent judges are "inferior officers" who do not need to be presidential appointees.

The Supreme Court could go as far as to bar the board from continuing to review and invalidate patents until changes to the appointment system are made, or shut down the PTAB entirely, forcing Congress to create a new board that more clearly caters to the needs of smaller inventors and patent owners. A ruling against the board could mean that hundreds of patent cases would have to be reconsidered, which could have considerable ramifications for companies that have used it successfully.

The PTAB survived a challenge at the Supreme Court in 2018, in a ruling which found that the panel was not unconstitutionally wielding powers that belong to the courts, but amid increasing scrutiny on the power of big tech companies and antitrust cases, there is a chance that things may pan out differently this time.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Apple enjoyed considerable gains in the Indian tablet market last year, growing its market share and increasing shipments by 13% year-on-year, according to data from IDC.

For the year, Apple replaced the local Indian maker iBall to become the third-largest shipper of tablets in the country. Compared to 2019, Apple saw its shipments of the iPad increase by 13%, but still "struggled with stock availability throughout the year."

Apple fell short compared to its closest rivals, however. Lenovo and Samsung, the top two manufacturers for tablets in India, saw their shipments grow by more than 150% each compared to 2019. A significant contributing factor is that both companies offer cheaper, low-end tablets compared to Apple's ‌iPad‌ line.

2020 saw millions of students work from home, and strong ‌iPad‌ and other tablet sales have largely reflected the new learn-from-home reality. Apple released a new low-end ‌iPad‌ during the year, alongside a redesigned iPad Air. The launch of the new ‌iPad‌ models and Apple's online store in India likely played roles in Apple's market share increase.

Apple's forthcoming iPhone 13 could include a 1TB storage option for some models and LiDAR Scanners across the entire lineup, according to a report from Wedbush analysts.

In a new note to investors, seen by MacRumors, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said that initial Asian supply chain checks gave the firm "increased confidence" that Apple's 5G-driven product cycle would extend well into 2022, and that this would be reflected in improved technical specifications.

From the report:

Initial Asia supply chain builds for iPhone 13 are currently in the 100 million unit range compared to our initial iPhone 12 reads at 80 million units and represents a 25% increase YoY out of the gates. While this number will clearly move around over the coming months, we believe this speaks to an increased confidence with Cook & Co. that this 5G driven product cycle will extend well into 2022 and should also benefit from a post vaccine consumer "reopening environment." From a spec perspective, we have increased confidence that iPhone 13 will have a 1 terabyte storage option which is double from the highest Pro storage capacity today (512GB) and will also include a number of enhancements with Lidar across all iPhone 13 models.

Apple leaker Jon Prosser last month doubled down on an earlier claim that the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup would feature a 1TB storage option. Apple currently only offers this capacity as an option in its iPad Pro models, but the additional storage would make sense for ‌iPhone‌ owners, especially those taking advantage of new photography features like ProRAW. ProRAW files are 10 to 12 times larger than HEIF or JPEG files, which means users will need a great deal more on-device storage or else pay for larger amounts of iCloud storage space.

A previous report has also suggested that Apple will expand its LiDAR Scanner to the entire ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup in 2021, rather than only the Pro and Pro Max models, as is the case in the current ‌iPhone‌ 12 series.

Looking ahead based on their initial build forecast for ‌iPhone‌ 13, Wedbush analysts remain bullish about Apple's prospects in the smartphone market, suggesting the ‌iPhone‌ 13 could be "a game changer indicating the supercycle party in Cupertino is going well in FY22."

Apple is predicted to return to its traditional September smartphone unveiling for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup, which is expected to include the same-sized model options, including a 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ 13 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, and 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max. (These names are simply placeholders and could always end up being different.)

Major design changes are not expected, but we can likely count on camera improvements, a faster A-series processor, and a new 5G chip from Qualcomm. Rumors suggest at least one ‌iPhone‌ in 2021 could feature a portless design that relies entirely on wireless charging rather than a Lightning port, though it's not clear if this will pan out.

Other rumors suggest a 120Hz ProMotion display could feature in this year's ‌iPhone‌. Apple could also shrink the notch in 2021, with one rumor suggesting a shallower notch with a reduced height rather than reduced width will be added to the ‌iPhone‌ lineup.

Apple is also said to be considering adding an in-display fingerprint sensor to the ‌iPhone‌ 13 models, which would be used in addition to Face ID as an alternate biometric authentication method.

TSMC, Apple's main chip supplier, is on track to begin risk production of a 3-nanometer fabrication process in the second half of this year, when the foundry will be capable of processing 30,000 wafers built using the more advanced technology, according to a new report today (via DigiTimes).

TSMC reportedly plans to expand its 3nm process capacity to 55,000 units monthly in 2022, thanks to Apple's order commitment, and will further scale up the output to 105,000 units in 2023. The ‌3nm‌ process yields 30 percent and 15 percent power consumption and performance improvements over the 5nm process.

A previous report suggested TSMC will be ready to move into volume production in the second half of next year, suggesting the ‌3nm‌ production roadmap is unchanged.

Meanwhile, TSMC plans to scale up its 5nm process manufacturing capacity throughout the year to meet increasing demands from its major customers. According to today's report, TSMC will upscale to 105,000 wafers monthly in the first half of 2021, up from 90,000 units in fourth-quarter 2020, with plans to further expand the process capacity to 120,000 units in the second half of this year.

TSMC's 5nm process capacity will reach 160,000 wafers monthly by 2024, the sources indicated. In addition to Apple, other major customers using TSMC's 5nm process manufacturing include AMD, MediaTek, Xilinx, Marvell, Broadcom and Qualcomm, the sources said.

The report's sources claim that the additional 5nm processing capacity is one of the main reasons for a recent drop in capacity utilization rates for the process. TSMC gives Apple priority over other clients, which is why a seasonal slowdown in iPhone chip orders is said to be another possible factor.

That said, overall 5nm chip orders placed by Apple reportedly remain stable, thanks to new orders for Apple's Arm-based M1 processor and continued brisk demand for the iPad Air, powered by Apple's A14 Bionic chip.

Apple will allegedly use a 5nm+ A15 chip in its forthcoming ‌iPhone‌ 13 series. 5nm+, or N5P, is said to be a "performance-enhanced version" of the 5nm chip used in the ‌iPhone‌ 12 that will deliver additional power efficiency and performance improvements.

TrendForce believes it is highly likely that the A16 chip in 2022 iPhones will be manufactured based on TSMC's future 4nm process, suggesting the new ‌3nm‌ technology will likely be used for a potential A17 chip and potentially other future ‌Apple silicon‌ Macs if the company follows previous years.

Beginning with iOS and iPadOS 14.5, Powerbeats Pro users will be able to locate, track, and find their headphones with the built-in Find My app.

The ‌Find My‌ app, formerly named ‌Find My‌ iPhone, helps users locate and track devices linked to their iCloud accounts such as their ‌iPhone‌, Mac, Apple Watch, or AirPods. Thanks to Apple's purchase of Beats in 2014, products such as the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ have enjoyed deep integration with iOS and macOS. However, they have lacked support for the ‌Find My‌ app.

With iOS and iPadOS 14.5, users will be able to locate and keep track of their Bluetooth earbuds right from within the ‌Find My‌ app. Currently, Apple says that if ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ are lost, customers should contact Apple Support, making the process of finding them lengthy.

Like AirPods, users will be able to trigger a sound to play from the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ to locate them. All in all, the new integration helps blur the line between the software experience for Apple's AirPods line and the Beats brand.

iOS and iPadOS 14.5, expected in the early spring, has quickly become the most significant update to iOS 14 since its launch in September. Starting with the new update in conjunction with watchOS 7.5, users will be able to unlock their iPhones with their Apple Watch, even if they're wearing a mask. Additional features in the update include crowdsourcing for accidents in Apple Maps, brand new emojis, the ability to select a default music streaming service and more.

(Thanks, Francis!)

Update: Dutch website iCulture notes that Beats Flex, and possibly some other Beats products containing Apple's W1 or H1 chips, also appear to support the ‌Find My‌ app in the iOS 14.5 beta.

Update 2: French website MacGeneration was first to spot the addition of Beats in the ‌Find My‌ app, including the Solo Pro.

Vancouver-based app startup, Buddybuild, will officially shut down in the fall of this year following Apple's acquisition of the company in 2018.

In an email sent to existing customers, Buddybuild says that services will no longer be supported as of March 31, 2021, and updates ceased. By the fall, the company will shut down operations altogether. In the run-up to the closure, Buddybuild is advising customers to begin migrating their work "as soon as possible."

Apple purchased the startup in 2018 and had the team join the Xcode engineering group to "build amazing developers tools for the entire iOS company." Buddybuild describes itself as a "continuous integration, continuous deployment, and user feedback platform for development teams." In other words, it focuses on tools for developers that are designed to let them quickly and easily build apps through GitHub, BitBucket, or GitLab.

(Thanks, Eric!)