MacRumors

Last year, Apple announced the launch of a $300 million Clean Energy Fund in China to connect suppliers with renewable energy sources.

Apple and 10 of its suppliers in China will invest nearly $300 million by 2022 to develop projects totaling one gigawatt of renewable energy. In a press release today, Apple said that includes three wind firms in Hunan and Hubei that will generate approximately one-tenth of that anticipated total.

Each farm is said to generate 48 megawatts of clean energy, supplying a combined 134 megawatts to China's national power grid.

Apple's environmental chief Lisa Jackson:

To see these projects completed and already supplying clean energy to the grid is really exciting. We are proud that suppliers participating in the fund share our commitment to supporting innovative energy solutions, cutting emissions and fighting climate change.

In its press release, Apple also reiterated that 44 of its suppliers in 16 countries have committed to using 100 percent clean energy to power their Apple-specific production. Apple and its suppliers remain on track to generate more than four gigawatts of clean energy worldwide by 2020, the company said.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues 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's Macs and iPads had the highest customer satisfaction score among PC and tablet makers in 2019, according to new data released today by the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

In the 2019 Household Appliance and Electronics Report, Apple earned an ACSI score of 83, the same score that it had in 2018. Apple's overall satisfaction score was higher than scores from Samsung (81), Amazon (79), HP (78), Acer (77), and others.

In the overall industry rankings, Apple stays on top for a second year with a stable and high ACSI score of 83, and its customers have by far the highest expectations. Despite a 1% downturn, Samsung keeps second place at 81 and no longer ties with Amazon, which falls much further. Amazon tumbles 4% to 79, just a point above the industry average. Among the three leaders, Apple demonstrates an advantage across all aspects of the customer experience, but it still lags both Samsung and Amazon for value.

The ACSI says that Samsung is the "industry leader" when it comes to the desktop segment with Apple in second place, but Apple devices win out when it comes to laptops and tablets, earning it the top overall score.

As with last year, Apple earned best-in-class ratings for everything from device design to features and available apps. Apple, says ACSI, demonstrates an advantage "across all aspects of the customer experience."

When it comes to overall customer satisfaction, desktop PCs, notebooks, and tablets still lag behind overall smartphone satisfaction, but amid larger machines, desktop computers have higher levels of customer satisfaction.

To create its scoring system and compile device scores, the ACSI uses data from interviews with approximately 300,000 customers to analyze customer satisfaction with hundreds of companies across dozens of industries.

Apple Arcade on Tuesday began appearing on Apple TVs running the latest tvOS 13 beta GM build, following the official launch of the gaming subscription service last week in tandem with the release of iOS 13.

Beta testers and developers took to Twitter to share the news in the early hours of this morning, although it's still unclear whether the gaming service is rolling out to all Apple set-top boxes running the Golden Master candidate, or just those in certain locations.

As the image below demonstrates, ‌Apple Arcade‌ on Apple TV features a native interface optimized for television screens, and currently sports a 'Try it Free' button promoting the service's one-month free trial available to everyone.

Games on ‌Apple Arcade‌ are supported by Made for iPhone game controllers along with PS4 and Xbox controllers, and Apple has built controller support into tvOS 13, so users won't need to rely on the Apple Remote to get playing.

The service's launch on tvOS is also hotly anticipated because ‌Apple Arcade‌ supports multiple platforms, so you'll be able to start a game on, say, your ‌iPhone‌, and then swap over to ‌Apple TV‌ without losing your place.

‌Apple Arcade‌ is priced at $4.99 per month, and allows up to six family members to access games through Apple's Family Sharing feature. It's currently only available on ‌iPhone‌, but will officially roll out to iPad and ‌Apple TV‌ when the public releases of iPadOS and tvOS 13 arrive on Tuesday, September 24. A Mac launch is likely to arrive in October. For more information, check out our dedicated Apple Arcade guide.

Apple last Friday released the Apple Watch Series 5, the newest iteration of the Apple Watch that first debuted in 2015. The Apple Watch Series 5 isn't much different from the Series 4, but there are some notable changes.

In our latest YouTube video, we went hands-on with the Apple Watch Series 5 to check out what's new.

Titanium, a never before used material, is lighter and more durable than stainless steel, and $100 more expensive, starting at $799 (stainless steel models start at $699). Also new this year is ceramic ($1299), which we had in 2016 and 2017 but wasn't an option in 2018. Ceramic and titanium Apple Watch models are considered higher-end "Edition" models.

Apple is still offering the standard stainless steel and aluminum, which starts at $399. As with last year, there are GPS only models and GPS + LTE models.

Aside from new case materials, the other major change to the Series 5 lineup is an Always-On display feature. As the name suggests, the display of the Series 5 Apple Watch is always lit up so you can glance down at your wrist to see the time, your complications, your notifications, or, with the Workout app running, your exercise metrics.

The display does dim when not in use, of course, but the watch face is clearly visible without the need to raise your wrist up.

There were no processor changes in the Series 5, so though Apple says it uses an S5 chip, the processor is identical to the Series 4. Display improvements, a low power display driver, and an efficient power management integrated circuit enable the Always-On display.

Apple says that battery life on the Series 5 should last for up to 18 hours just like the Series 4 despite the Always-On display, but we've seen some mixed results.

Some of us here at MacRumors haven't seen battery life changes, but others feel that the battery is draining quicker than before. Apple may have some optimizations coming in future software updates to solve any battery issues.

Other new changes include 32GB of internal storage, likely for the new standalone App Store in watchOS 6, and a new compass feature. The compass feature is available in a Compass app that tells you your heading, incline, latitude, and longitude, plus the feature is used in the Maps app so you can finally see which direction you're facing.

For LTE Apple Watch owners, there's an updated Emergency SOS feature that will contact emergency services in whatever country you're in when activated, something that's nice for peace of mind when traveling. In prior models, this feature was limited to the emergency services in the country of purchase.

All in all, while there are some useful features in the Series 5, there's not a compelling reason to update if you already have a Series 4. If you have a Series 1, 2, 3, or original Apple Watch, there's a lot more to gain in the Series 5 and it's potentially a worthwhile upgrade.

Apple recently added the second-generation Apple Pencil to its online store for refurbished products in the United States, offering the accessory at a discounted price for the first time.

Apple is selling the second-generation Apple Pencil for $109, which is a $20 discount off of the original $129 price. $109 is the lowest price that we've seen on the ‌Apple Pencil‌ 2, so Apple's deal is solid for anyone looking to pick up a new ‌Apple Pencil‌.

The ‌Apple Pencil‌ 2 is compatible with the 2018 11-inch iPad Pro and the 2018 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ only. All other iPad models that support the ‌Apple Pencil‌ work with the original ‌Apple Pencil‌, not the second-generation version.

Next-generation ‌iPad Pro‌ models that are in development will also likely be compatible with ‌Apple Pencil‌ 2.

Compared to the original ‌Apple Pencil‌, the ‌Apple Pencil‌ 2 does away with the Lightning port at the top of the device, instead charging wirelessly via the ‌iPad Pro‌ itself through a magnetic connection.

The second-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ also supports gestures, so with a tap, you can change brushes or quickly switch from a brush to an eraser without having to pick up the pencil and select a new tool.

Google today announced the launch of a new gaming service called Google Play Pass, which gives Android users access to more than 350 games and apps for $4.99 per month, similar to Apple Arcade.

Google's version, like ‌Apple Arcade‌, provides games to customers without in-app purchases and without ads. There is a family sharing option, and a Play Pass subscription can be shared with up to five family members.

With ‌Apple Arcade‌, all of the game titles are only on the App Store when it comes to mobile devices, but some are also developed for release on console. ‌Apple Arcade‌ is also limited to new content and doesn't include popular older apps like Play Pass.

Given that Google is using existing games in Play Pass, it has a larger catalog of available titles at launch - hundreds, compared to Apple's 60+. Google says customers can count on new titles monthly, which is something Apple has also promised.

According to The Verge, Google plans to pay developers through user engagement with the apps, though it's not entirely clear what that means at this time. Google said that it's more than just screen time or number of app opens per week.

Google has been working on the Play Pass service since 2018, and began testing it out at the end of July.

Play Pass is available for Android devices in the United States this week, and will be expanding to additional countries soon. It comes with a 10-day free trial and after that, a subscription costs $4.99 per month, just like ‌Apple Arcade‌.

Google is offering a promo, though, which will allow subscribers to sign up for $1.99 per month for the first year for a limited time. Play Pass content can be accessed through the new Play Pass option that you can get to by tapping the menu in the top left corner of the Play Store.

Apple today announced that its next-generation Mac Pro will be manufactured in Texas, with production slated to begin soon at the same Austin facility where the current ‌Mac Pro‌ has been made since 2013.

Apple says the new ‌Mac Pro‌ will include components designed, developed, and manufactured by more than a dozen American companies for distribution to U.S. customers. Suppliers will span eight states, including Arizona, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Vermont.

Apple did not immediately respond when we asked if the new ‌Mac Pro‌ will be made in Texas for orders distributed in other countries.

Apple says the U.S. manufacturing is made possible following import tariff exemptions the Trump administration granted Apple last week for certain Chinese-made components. The value of American-made components in the new ‌Mac Pro‌ is 2.5 times greater than the current ‌Mac Pro‌, the company adds.

Apple CEO Tim Cook:

The Mac Pro is Apple's most powerful computer ever and we're proud to be building it in Austin. We thank the administration for their support enabling this opportunity. We believe deeply in the power of American innovation. That's why every Apple product is designed and engineered in the US, and made up of parts from 36 states, supporting 450,000 jobs with US suppliers, and we're going to continue growing here.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott:

Apple's latest investment is a testament to Texas' unrivaled workforce and premier business climate. Our state's economy is thriving as the tech and manufacturing sectors continue to expand. I am grateful for Apple's commitment to creating jobs in Texas, and will continue to promote fiscal and regulatory policies that encourage investment in our state and benefit future generations of Texans.

Apple says it remains on track to fulfill its commitment to invest $350 billion in the U.S. economy by 2023. Apple said that, last year alone, it spent over $60 billion with more than 9,000 domestic suppliers across the country, including at manufacturing locations spanning 36 states.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues 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.

Following a teardown of the iPhone 11 Pro Max on Friday, iFixit today posted a separate teardown of the entry-level iPhone 11 model.

The repair site reiterated what has been said previously about the ‌iPhone‌ 11: it's essentially an ‌iPhone‌ XR, but with a few internal upgrades from the new ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro family. There's a double-decker logic board, upgraded wide and ultrawide camera lenses, and what iFixit believes to be ultra wideband antenna technology embedded into the rear case.

Otherwise, the teardown doesn't reveal much unknown information about the ‌iPhone‌ 11. iFixit delved into the device's rectangular battery, which is only marginally improved upon last year's ‌iPhone‌ XR battery. The ‌iPhone‌ 11 has a 3,110 mAh battery, measuring about 7 percent more compared to the ‌iPhone‌ XR and accounting for the one hour battery increase that Apple claimed in its keynote.

iFixit also briefly discussed the potential for bilateral charging on the ‌iPhone‌ 11, which the site ultimately pointed out was never meant to be on the entry-level 2019 ‌iPhone‌. The ‌iPhone‌ 11 lacks a second battery connector (unlike the 11 Pro Max), and iFixit explained that a larger battery and additional thermal management "would almost certainly be required" for bilateral charging on the ‌iPhone‌ 11.

The ‌iPhone‌ 11 earned a repairability score of 6 out of 10. iFixit said that the display is easier to replace than in other smartphones, but the site bemoaned Apple's continued use of proprietary screws and an increased chance of breakage due to glass on the front and back of the ‌iPhone‌ 11.

Apple's new iPhone 11 Pro Max has earned display testing and calibration firm DisplayMate's "highest ever A+ grade" for providing "considerably better display performance than other competing smartphones."

DisplayMate tested the iPhone 11 Pro Max's display and found "major" performance improvements compared to the iPhone XS Max's display, including increased peak brightness, improved absolute color accuracy, and slightly lower screen reflectance, all while being up to 15 percent more power efficient.

DisplayMate:

The iPhone 11 Pro Max is a Very Impressive Top Tier Smartphone Display

Apple has continued to raise the on-screen Absolute Picture Quality and Absolute Color Accuracy of their displays by implementing Precision Factory Display Calibration, moving the overall iPhone 11 Pro Max display performance up to Record Setting Outstanding levels, and setting or matching many Display Performance Records, including Absolute Color Accuracy at a very impressive 0.9 JNCD that is Visually Indistinguishable From Perfect, and almost certainly considerably better than your existing Smartphone, 4K UHD TV, Tablet, Laptop and computer monitor.

The iPhone 11 Pro Max also has a Record Full Screen Peak Brightness of 770 nits, and 820 nits for the typical Average Picture Level of 50%, which is roughly double of most high-end Smartphones. Compared to the iPhone XS Max, the iPhone 11 Pro Max has a number of notable improvements including 17% higher Full Screen Peak Brightness and up to 15% higher Display Power Efficiency.

Read the full DisplayMate article for in-depth analysis of the iPhone 11 Pro Max's display and the methodology behind its testing.