Procreate 5 for iPad got its official release today, introducing a completely rebuilt graphics engine and several notable new features.
Under the hood, the new Valkyrie graphics engine takes full advantage of Apple's Metal architecture and is designed to get maximum performance out of iPad, utilizing new sophisticated shaders and running at 120fps on supported devices.
On the feature front, an all-new Animation Assist toolset aims to make the creation of animatics, looping GIFs and storyboards an easier process for newcomers and more streamlined for experts. Meanwhile, the same applies to custom brush creation thanks to the powerful new Brush Studio, which allows finer control over every aspect of how brushes look, react and behave.
Procreate 5's new Clone tool allows you to use any brush style to give a cloned area the look of that brush, or to lock the clone area in place to plaint with a multicolored brush based on your selection. The Color Panel can also now be detached and minimized into a new Mini Color Panel, for moving it out of areas that you want to work on.
Elsewhere, new Color Dynamics offer tactile control of hue, saturation, brightness and more to a brush, through the tilt or pressure of the Apple Pencil. There are also 18 individual sliders to allow for more control.
This version also includes new importable CMYK and RGB ICC profiles for print-based users, a new Photoshop Brush Import feature for using Photoshop brushes in the app, a new Color Harmony section in the Color Panel for easily picking complimentary colors, and a new 10-step Color History palette.
Lastly, the Procreate 5 interface has been refined and improved to make it more accessible and unobtrusive, while retaining the familiarity of previous versions.
Procreate 5 for iPad can be purchased on the App Store from today for a one-time payment of $10. [Direct Link]
Apple plans to release the new Mac Pro and the Pro Display XDR on Tuesday, December 10, according to "Save the Date" emails that Apple began sending out to some customers this afternoon.
Apple in November confirmed that the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR would come in December, but until now, the company had not provided a specific date. Apple's emails say orders will begin on December 10, so presumably shipments will begin soon after orders open up.
The new modular Mac Pro was first introduced in June at the WorldWide developers Conference, with the machine aimed at Apple's pro user base.
The Mac Pro was designed with a heavy focus on upgradeability and expansion, and it features a traditional PC shape with an Apple-esque stainless steel frame with a lattice pattern that maximizes airflow.
Internal specs include workstation-class Xeon processors with up to 28 cores, up to 1.5TB of high-performance memory, up to two Radeon Pro II Duo GPUs, and eight PCIe expansion slots, along with an Apple Afterburner accelerator card.
Pricing on the Mac Pro will start at $6,000, and will go up based on configuration. The base Mac Pro features an 8-core Xeon W chip.
Apple plans to sell the Mac Pro alongside the Pro Display XDR, a 6K display with a resolution of 6016 x 3384 and more than 20 million pixels. Pricing on the Pro Display XDR starts at $5,000, with an add-on stand priced at $999.
After a relatively slow Thanksgiving and Black Friday holiday week, rumors came in fast and furious this week. Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was on a roll with several reports outlining expectations for new iPhones in 2020 and 2021 as well as Apple's plans to shift to Mini-LED displays, starting next year with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Other news included some issues with unexpected shutdowns on the 2019 entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro and speaker popping noises on the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, and a controversy over Location Services behavior on the iPhone 11 lineup. And finally, Jony Ive's departure from Apple was finally made official. Read on for details on all of these topics.
Apple May Launch 'Completely Wireless' iPhone Without Lightning Connector and 'iPhone SE 2 Plus' With Touch ID Power Button in 2021
Earlier in 2020, Kuo expects Apple to release the widely rumored "iPhone SE 2" with a 4.7-inch LCD display and a traditional Touch ID home button. The device is expected to resemble the iPhone 8, but with a faster A13 chip and 3GB of RAM. Pricing is estimated to start at $399, and one new rumor claims the device could be called the iPhone 9.
16-Inch MacBook Pro and 12.9-Inch iPad Pro With Mini-LED Displays to Launch in Second Half of 2020
Ming-Chi Kuo had even more predictions to share this week beyond iPhones.
Kuo has previously said that Mini-LED displays will allow for thinner and lighter product designs, while offering many of the same benefits of OLED displays used on the latest iPhones, including good wide color gamut performance, high contrast and dynamic range, and local dimming for truer blacks.
iPads and MacBooks currently use LCDs.
Apple Acknowledges Issue With Some 2019 13" MacBook Pro Models Unexpectedly Shutting Down
There is a fairly lengthy thread in our discussion forums where some users experiencing the issue have gathered to try to diagnose and troubleshoot their machines.
Meanwhile, Apple is investigating an issue with speakers making popping noises on the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro. Apple says this is a software issue that will be addressed in upcoming software updates, so there's no need to exchange or repair machines exhibiting the issue.
New iPhones Access Location Info Even When Settings Are Disabled Due to Ultra Wideband, Toggle Coming in Future Software Update
Earlier this week, security researcher Brian Krebs found that Apple's new iPhone 11 Pro models access user location data even when all apps and system services on the iPhone are set to not request the data.
"Ultra wideband technology is an industry standard technology and is subject to international regulatory requirements that require it to be turned off in certain locations," said Apple in a statement. "iOS uses Location Services to help determine if iPhone is in these prohibited locations in order to disable ultra wideband and comply with regulations."
Jony Ive Leaves Apple
In June, Apple announced that Ma gref="https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/27/jony-ive-leaving-apple/">Jony Ive would depart the company as an employee by the end of 2019 to form an independent design company named LoveFrom with his designer friend Marc Newson. Apple said it will remain one of Ive's primary clients.
Ive led Apple's design team since 1996 and he heavily influenced the look and feel of iconic products like the iMac and iPhone.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
In an internal document shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple has indicated that some customers may report that the camera button on the Smart Battery Case for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max does not function correctly.
Before providing service, Apple has advised technicians to ensure the iPhone is updated to the latest iOS version, noting that the camera button will not function correctly unless the device is running iOS 13.2 or later.
Apple has also advised technicians to remind customers that a single quick press of the button will not launch the Camera app in order to avoid unintentional presses. The button must be pressed and held for the app to open. Holding the button for too long, however, will close the Camera app and return to the Lock screen.
All in all, Apple does not appear to be acknowledging an actual issue with the cases here, but rather helping to clear up some confusion.
Smart Battery Cases for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max launched late last month and are priced at $129 for all models. The cases are available in White and Black, and the Pro versions also come in Pink Sand.
Apple earlier this year renewed Apple TV+ show "Dickinson" for a new season, and now casting for new roles has begun ahead of filming.
According to Variety, Finn Jones and Pico Alexander will be in the second season of the show.
Image credit: Rex/Shutterstock via Variety
"Dickinson," for those unfamiliar with the series, stars Hailee Steinfeld as famous American poet Emily Dickinson. The show explores the constraints of society, gender, and family from Dickinson's perspective, and the first season received largely positive reviews.
Jones will play the role of Samuel Bowles, a newspaper editor who was a close friend to Dickinson, and the two corresponded often. There has been speculation that Bowles was a romantic interest that Dickinson referenced in some of her poetry, though this is unconfirmed.
Jones is best known for playing Loras Tyrell in the early seasons of "Game of Thrones," and he also starred in Netflix Marvel series "Iron Fist."
Alexander will play Henry "Ship" Shipley, an Amherst College dropout and a boarder with the Dickinsons. Alexander is known for his role in Hulu series "Catch-22," and he has also appeared in films that include "A Most Violent Year" and "War Machine."
Along with these new cast members, season 2 will also feature much of the cast from season 1, including Steinfeld as Dickinson and Jane Krakowski as Dickinson's mother.
There is no word on when "Dickinson" season 2 will premiere, but it could be released somewhere around a year after the first season, which would put its launch in the fall of 2020.
Update: Upcoming Apple TV+ Show "Lisey's Story" has also cast Sung Kang in the role of officer Dan Beckman, a police officer assigned to watch over Lisey's house.
Apple is investigating a popping sound issue with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro and plans to make a fix available in future software updates, the company has indicated in an internal document obtained by MacRumors.
The memo shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers reads as follows:
If a customer hears a popping sound when playback is stopped on their MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
When using Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X, QuickTime Player, Music, Movies, or other applications to play audio, users may hear a pop come from the speakers after playback has ended. Apple is investigating the issue. A fix is planned in future software updates. Do not set up service, or replace the user's computer, as this is a software-related issue.
Shortly following the launch of the 16-inch MacBook Pro last month, some customers began to voice concerns about the popping sound issue across the MacRumors forums, Apple Support Communities, Reddit, and elsewhere. The exact cause is unclear, but Apple confirms it is a software issue, not a hardware issue.
Back in 2004, then-Wired editor Leander Kahney published The Cult of Mac, a photo-filled book containing an array of anecdotes about fans, collectors, and others with special connections to Apple and the Mac. While Kahney took the opportunity to add a chapter on the iPod when the book was published as a paperback edition a couple of years later, the book remains an interesting look at a time when Apple had only recently surfaced from its near-death experience of the 1990s.
As outlined by Kahney in The Cult of Mac, Apple may even have been saved by those devotees to the Mac, some of whom became an army of essentially unpaid evangelists seeking to convert over to Mac anyone and everyone who would listen. Some even went as far as to stake out CompUSA stores to educate or counteract clueless salespeople who only wanted to sell Windows machines and were uninterested in directing customers to the Mac section of the stores, while others shared their love for the Mac with the world through tattoos, stickers, vanity license plates, and more.
"The Cult of Mac" first edition (left) and new second edition (right)
Much has changed for Apple in the fifteen years since the original release of The Cult of Mac, with the iPhone launching Apple to its current position as a consumer electronics and lifestyle behemoth. No longer the underdog, Apple has attracted millions upon millions of loyal customers into its ever-expanding ecosystem of devices and services.
So now with 2020 right around the corner, Kahney has teamed up with David Pierini, a writer for Kahney's independent Cult of Mac site, to release a second edition of The Cult of Mac, another photo-heavy book that would fit right in on any Apple fan's coffee table. Rather than a revision or update of the original, the second edition of The Cult of Mac is more of a companion book, revisiting some of the same themes but introducing some new ones and sharing new anecdotes about some of Apple's biggest fans.
The coffee table nature of the second edition of The Cult of Mac is evident before you even open the cover, as the book itself is cleverly designed to resemble one of Apple's iconic MacBooks, wrapped in a silver plastic jacket with an Apple-shaped title logo on the "lid" of the book. There are even four black "feet" on the rear of the book to match those used on Apple's notebooks.
Opening the front cover of the book continues the theme, as it reveals a MacBook Pro keyboard and top case with the inside cover serving as a mock display, complete with an overlaid "macOS" app window on the transparent plastic jacket sharing an introductory description of the book. The next several pages of the book including the Table of Contents gradually shift orientation, encouraging the reader to reorient the book from the landscape mock computer into a traditional portrait orientation. It's all cleverly done and a fun way to dive into the book.
The book itself is an easy read, broken up into short chapters and sections with lots of photos and artistic design elements. The book is about 200 pages and I read it cover to cover in just a couple of hours thanks to the emphasis on visuals over text, but the layout makes it easy to just pick up the book and read a few pages here and there.
Following a brief introduction, the second edition of The Cult of Mac tackles "The Line Sitters," those who camped out for days ahead of a major product launch, sometimes in an effort to be first to get their hands on Apple's latest devices and other times just for publicity. Subsequent chapters look at the way Apple fans have paid tribute to Steve Jobs, collectors and museums dedicated to Apple's products, those in music and photography who have found inspiration from and utility in Apple's devices, and those who repurpose old Macs for products such as jewelry, aquariums, and more.
The book wraps up with a look at those dedicated Apple fans whose obsessions date back even further than the Mac to the Apple II family, as well as a quick trip around the world to look at fandom in several different countries, including an iPad magician in Germany, the Russian and Ukrainian luxury iPhone markets, and users in the Middle East who use special cases to carry multiple iPhones for work and personal use.
Overall, the second edition of The Cult of Mac is an enjoyable read which, like the original, treads some different ground compared to the many Apple-related biographies and histories that regularly hit the bookshelves, including Kahney's own biographies of Jony Ive and Tim Cook. It's also a contrasting type of coffee table book compared to product-focused ones like Apple's own "Designed in California."
The Cult of Mac, Second Edition debuts December 17, and it's available for pre-order now at Amazon in hardcover for $39.95, or if you don't have a need for the physical book you can pre-order the Kindle edition or Apple Books edition for $23.99.
Wireless CarPlay has yet to take off with car manufacturers, with BMW (as well its MINI brand) being the first major car manufacturer to support the feature several years ago. As we recently covered, Porsche is in the process rolling out wireless CarPlay to its lineup, but there's at least one other notable manufacturer adopting the technology, and that's VW's luxury brand Audi.
Audi's latest "MMI touch response" infotainment system replaces nearly all center stack controls with a pair of touchscreens that offer haptic feedback when you touch on icons and other user interface elements. I've had a chance to test out a 2019 Audi A7 to see how the MMI touch response system works both on its own and in conjunction with CarPlay, so read on for all of the details.
Audi MMI Touch Response
The A7's dual center display setup consists of an 8.8-inch upper screen that serves as a traditional infotainment display and an 8.6-inch lower screen that supports climate controls, a few other vehicle functions, and customizable shortcuts that allow for one-touch access to items on the main infotainment screen like favorite radio stations, destinations, and more.
Audi's MMI main home screen
On the Premium Plus trim and higher, the upper display is upgraded to a 10.1-inch widescreen display, which is what my test vehicle came equipped with. Regardless of screen size, both the top and bottom displays include the haptic feedback system that lets you know that your touch has been registered.
Lower MMI screen with climate controls and shortcuts
The haptic feedback system is an interesting innovation that will be familiar to iPhone users. On the MMI touch response system, it means you do have to press a bit harder on the screen than a simple touch, and I'd say the force required is roughly equivalent to a 3D Touch press on an iPhone. It doesn't require a terribly hard press, but it's enough to help avoid stray taps.
Audi navigation app with Google Earth view
The elimination of nearly all hardware knobs and buttons from the dashboard of the A7 undoubtedly makes for a cleaner look, and the haptic feedback helps the touchscreen system mimic physical controls to some degree, but it still means you'll likely need to glance at the screen to see what you're doing rather than being able to rely on tactile feel like you can with physical controls.
SiriusXM audio screen on MMI system
That said, the MMI system has a clean layout that features minimal color aside from the navigation system. The color that is used elsewhere in the MMI system is primarily for showing the state of virtual toggles, sparse highlights, or grouping home screen icons by function such as a strip of yellow for audio-related functions, green for phone-related functions, and blue for navigation.
With this much touchscreen covering the center stack, it's unsurprising that it suffers from a bit of glare, but it's not bad enough to really interfere with operation. It also attracts some fingerprints, so it's a good idea to wipe things clean once in a while.
Virtual Cockpit
As if two displays on the center stack weren't enough, my test A7 was also equipped with Audi's virtual cockpit, a customizable 12.3-inch display right in front of the driver.
Virtual cockpit with large gauges
With customization settings, you can put the built-in Audi navigation closer to your line-of-sight, and you can opt for either a small map window flanked by large digital speedometer and tachometer gauges or let an aerial perspective mapping view take over nearly the entire screen. It's an impressive view to help guide you on your route, but unfortunately CarPlay can't take advantage of this extra screen real estate.
Virtual cockpit with full-screen navigation view
CarPlay
With the widescreen setup on the higher trims of the A7, you'll get a widescreen version of CarPlay that shows a 5x2 grid of home screen icons rather than the more common 4x2 grid seen on most other systems.
CarPlay Home screen
Even with the widescreen CarPlay, however, Audi's MMI system maintains both a strip of icons along the left side for quick access to native functions like radio and navigation, as well as its own narrow status bar along the top that shows information like the time, signal strength, driver profile, device battery level, and wireless charging status. The status bar also provides a small pull-down to let you access any notifications from the MMI system.
Wireless CarPlay is a great feature, as it means you can leave your phone in your pocket and still have CarPlay pop right up as soon as you start up the car. It's great for short trips where you're not too concerned about getting your phone charged up while driving. Using CarPlay can burn through battery a bit, so for longer trips you'll want to use either a wired connection or wireless charging (which I'll talk about a bit later) to help keep your phone from running down.
Wireless CarPlay setup
Setup for wireless CarPlay is extremely simple, using a Bluetooth pairing process to get things going. Once the pairing is established, the phone and infotainment system communicate over Wi-Fi, and I experienced no lag when interacting with CarPlay wirelessly on the MMI system.
Widescreen CarPlay dashboard screen
CarPlay on a widescreen display is fantastic for Maps and other navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze, as it gives you an expansive view of the area around your route even with the various informational overlays and icons showing on top of the map. Other apps see less benefit from the widescreen treatment, as many already have fairly sparse interfaces that are uncluttered even on smaller displays.
Unfortunately, the haptic feedback that's a key feature of the native MMI system doesn't work with CarPlay, so when you're using CarPlay the system will respond to capacitive taps like any other touchscreen.
Wireless Charging
The A7 has a shallow storage compartment in the center console, and Audi offers a combination phone storage tray with wireless charger inside the compartment. The feature is part of a convenience package on the base Premium trim and comes standard on the higher-level Premium Plus and Prestige trims. Unlike wireless chargers in some other vehicles, the one in the A7 is a simple tray that accommodates a wide range of phone sizes and keeps your device hidden away. It does only charge at a maximum of 5 watts, so don't expect super fast battery charging from it.
Center console compartment with phone box and USB ports
The charger, known as the Audi phone box, also provides a cellular signal booster to help maintain a strong signal by leveraging an external antenna. It's all done seamlessly from the user perspective, so all you have to do is place your phone on the charger in the storage compartment.
Ports and Connectivity
Inside the center console storage compartment, you'll also find a pair of USB-A ports if you prefer to use a wired connection for CarPlay and charging. Both USB ports are capable of transmitting data.
Rear USB ports and controls
On the rear of the center console is another pair of USB-A ports for the rear passengers, but these are charge-only ports that can't be used to deliver wired CarPlay, for example.
Wrap-up
Wireless CarPlay remains primarily limited to luxury brands so far, and it would be great to see it trickle down into more mainstream vehicles sooner rather than later. With rumors of Apple launching its first "completely wireless" iPhone without a Lightning port as soon as 2021, it appears users are going to be increasingly looking for wireless CarPlay support.
While I still prefer to plug into a USB port to top off my phone's battery on longer trips, it's convenient on shorter trips to have CarPlay automatically pop up with my phone still in my pocket. And if I just want a little extra juice, the wireless charger can provide that without needing to deal with cables.
From a broader perspective, I'm less of a fan of Audi's touchscreen-heavy interface. Yes, it offers a very clean look for the dash, and the screens allow for some customizability and flexibility that you can't get from hardware buttons, but I still prefer to operate many functions by feel, and touchscreens make that difficult.
Still, Audi's MMI touch response is a powerful infotainment system, particularly on upgraded models that include a total of three large screens. CarPlay integrates well with the main center stack screen, offering a wide view of the CarPlay interface while still maintaining access to native functions. And if you're up for using the native navigation system, the beautiful virtual cockpit offers some great functionality.
All of this doesn't come cheaply, of course, with the base 2019 Audi A7 quattro starting at a sticker price of $68,000 and the recently launched 2020 model coming in $1,000 higher with a few additional standard features. My test vehicle was naturally specced out with plenty of extras, including the $8,300 Prestige package that added the larger 10.1-inch main screen, the virtual cockpit, premiums Bang & Olufson sound, the phone box with wireless charging and antenna boost, and much more.
Toss in a driver assistance package, upgraded seating and wheels, and a few more extras, and my tester came in at a bit over $85,000. That's obviously out of reach for a good many car buyers, but for those who can afford it there's a lot to like, and hopefully innovations similar to some of those found in the A7 will make their way into cheaper vehicles over time as technology tends to do.
Speck's Presidio Stay Clear case, priced at $40, is a clear plastic case that's ideal if you want to let the design of the iPhone shine through, making it perfect for colorful iPhones like the iPhone 11 and the iPhone XR.
All of Speck's cases offer protection from drops and bumps, and the Presidio Stay Clear is no exception. It protects your iPhone from drops up to 13 feet and there's also Microban antimicrobial protection to cut down on germs. Ports remain accessible, and a lip around the case protects the display.
The Presidio Pro, also priced at $40, offers 13-foot drop protection and the same Microban antimicrobial protection as the Presidio Stay Clear, but with a soft-touch matte exterior that adds grip and is available in a range of colors, from black and gray to blue and pink.
Reinforced corners protect against serious drops, and a display lip makes sure the display doesn't get scratched when the iPhone is placed facedown. The Presidio Pro is slim, but features two layers of protection to add cushioning.
Available for $40, the Presidio Grip is Speck's grippiest case. It has a design that's similar to the Presidio Pro, but with raised rubber ridges along each sides that make it easier to hold.
The Presidio Grip is available in black, gray, pink, and shades of blue, and it offers the same 13-foot drop protection and antimicrobial properties as other Speck cases. It has the same dual-layer construction that protects against drops and bumps, and a raised lip to protect the display. All Speck cases, Presidio Grip included, allow Qi-based wireless charging to work.
We have five iPhone case bundles to give away to MacRumors readers, with winners able to get cases that fit the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, X, XR, XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max. All of Speck's cases are available for 25 percent off through the holidays, so those who don't win can still get a lower price on a case.
To enter to win our giveaway, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (December 6) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on December 13. The winners will be chosen randomly on December 13 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Chicago-based law firm Fegan Scott has levied a lawsuit against both Apple and Samsung, claiming that independent testing suggests the radiofrequency radiation levels in recent smartphones "far exceeded the federal limits" when used "as marketed by the manufacturers."
The basis for this lawsuit dates back to August, when The Chicago Tribunelaunched an investigation into the radiofrequency radiation levels output by popular smartphones.
RF Radiation Testing Results from a Chicago Times Investigation in August
The paper hired an accredited lab to test several smartphones according to federal guidelines, and found that some of Apple's iPhones are allegedly emitting radiofrequency radiation that exceeds safety limits.
Apple disputed the results and in a statement, said that the testing was inaccurate "due to the test setup not being in accordance with procedures necessary to properly assess the iPhone models."
"All iPhone models, including iPhone 7, are fully certified by the FCC and in every other country where iPhone is sold," the statement said. "After careful review and subsequent validation of all iPhone models tested in the (Tribune) report, we confirmed we are in compliance and meet all applicable ... exposure guidelines and limits."
At the time, the FCC said that it would launch its own investigation into the results, and a day after The Chicago Tribune published its findings, the Fegan Scott law firm pledged to launch its own investigation into the claims.
Fegan Scott enlisted an FCC-accredited laboratory to do its own testing of six smartphone models at distances ranging from zero to 10 millimeters to measure the radiofrequency radiation emitted when touching or in close proximity to the body.
The lab that did the testing claims that at two millimeters, the iPhone 8 and Galaxy S8 were "more than twice the federal exposure limit" and at zero millimeters, the iPhone 8 was "five times more than the federal exposure limit."
After receiving the results, Fegan Scott has decided to launch an official lawsuit against both Apple and Samsung covering the iPhone 7 Plus, the iPhone 8, the iPhone XR, the Galaxy S8, the Galaxy S9, and the Galaxy S10. From attorney Beth Fegan:
"Apple and Samsung smartphones have changed the way we live. Adults, teenagers and children wake up to check their email or play games and do work or school exercises on their smartphones. They carry these devices in their pockets throughout the day and literally fall asleep with them in their beds."
"The manufacturers told consumers this was safe, so we knew it was important to test the RF radiation exposure and see if this was true. It is not true. The independent results confirm that RF radiation levels are well over the federal exposure limit, sometimes exceeding it by 500 percent, when phones are used in the way Apple and Samsung encourage us to. Consumers deserve to know the truth."
According to Fegan Scott, the testing conducted by the lab reflects "actual use conditions" rather than the "conditions set by manufacturers," which means the testing was likely not done in the same way that Apple does its own internal testing. Apple, for example, tests at 5mm, not 0mm and 2mm.
The Chicago Tribune's original testing was done in a manner to simulate the worst possible scenario, with the phone operating in low signal and full power to create the maximum radiofrequency radiation level. It's not clear how the law firm's testing was carried out.
There is no evidence that radiofrequency radiation levels above the federal limits have the potential to cause harm, so consumers should not be alarmed at this time. The FCC is doing its own independent testing and those results should provide more insight into the safety of smartphones.
Apple tells its customers worried about radiofrequency radiation exposure to use a hands-free option, and some past iPhone models have included recommended carrying distances. With the iPhone 4 and 4s, for example, Apple said the smartphones should be held at least 10mm away from the body, and there was a similar suggestion made for the iPhone 7.
The lawsuit is seeking damages from Apple as well as funds to pay for medical monitoring.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming macOS Catalina 10.15.2 update to developers, two weeks after releasing the third beta and over a month after the launch of macOS Catalina 10.15.1.
The new macOS Catalina beta can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in the System Preferences app after installing the appropriate profile from the Developer Center.
We don't yet know what improvements the second update to macOS Catalina will bring, but it most likely focuses on performance improvements, security updates, and fixes for bugs that weren't able to be addressed in the macOS Catalina 10.15.1 update.
We didn't find any major new changes worth noting in the first three betas, but we'll update this article should anything notable be found in the fourth beta.
macOS Catalina is a major update that does away with iTunes in favor of new Music, Podcasts, and TV apps. It also nixes support for 32-bit apps, adds a new Find My app, brings a new Photos interface, and includes multiple privacy enhancements and other app refinements.
Apple on December 14 is holding an open house event at Apple Park for Cupertino residents who live near the campus, and has been sending out invites via email to those who are eligible to attend.
The open house takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and requires attendees to RSVP by December 11. Apple says that it is supporting Toys for Tots, and asks those interested in participating to bring along a toy.
Potential attendees need to fill out a registration form and attendance is confirmed on a first come, first serve basis until capacity is reached.
Each household that receives an invitation can register up to four people in total, and households will be assigned a specific arrival time. Apple says that light snacks and beverages will be served, and the company recommends comfortable outdoor shoes.
Attendees will be able to take photos of exterior spaces at Apple Park, but not interior spaces or inside buildings.
Apple has previously invited nearby Cupertino residents to visit its Apple Park campus when the Apple Park Visitor Center opened up in November 2017.
The widely rumored "iPhone SE 2" might actually be named the iPhone 9, according to an "informed source" cited by Japanese blog Mac Otakara.
The report reiterates that the device will have a similar form factor as the iPhone 8, including a 4.7-inch display with bezels and a Touch ID home button, but with a faster A13 Bionic chip. 3GB of RAM is also expected. Like the original iPhone SE, the device is not expected to support 3D Touch.
iPhone 9 would certainly be a more fitting name for the device given it sounds like more of an iPhone 8 successor than an iPhone SE successor. With a 4.7-inch display, the new device would be larger than the original iPhone SE with a 4-inch display, disappointing those who prefer a smaller phone.
The lower-cost iPhone, whatever it ends up being named, will likely start around $399 with 64GB of storage, and come in Space Gray, Silver, and Red, according to reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Multiple reports have indicated the device will be released by the end of the first quarter of 2020.
The original iPhone SE was introduced at an Apple event in March 2016, so a March 2020 release is certainly possible for this next device.
Best Buy began a new sale focused on Apple products today, which is a precursor to its upcoming 12 Days of Deals holiday shopping event. For the Apple sale, Best Buy is discounting a number of iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, and more to notable low prices, some of which are matching the prices we saw on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This sale will end on Sunday, December 8 at 11:59 p.m. CT, and afterwards the 12 Days of Deals event will kick off. Best Buy isn't detailing which products will see discounts on which day yet, but it does provide some hints, and Apple shoppers will want to return on December 14 when the retailer says it will discount the MacBook, Beats, and more.
For now, you can shop this weekend's Apple Sales Event below.
Best Buy Apple Sales Event
iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
iPhone 11 Pro Max - Save up to $300 with qualified activation and in-store trade-in
Apple shares crossed the $269 mark in intraday trading today, setting a new all-time high for the company.
However, oil giant Saudi Aramco is set to overtake Apple as the world's most valuable company based on market cap after raising $25.6 billion in the world's biggest initial public offering ever, according to Reuters. The shares are expected to begin trading on the Saudi stock market on December 11.
Saudi Aramco only offered a 1.5 percent stake in the company to public shareholders, so the $25.6 billion raised gives it an overall valuation of around $1.7 trillion, topping Apple's market cap of around $1.1 trillion.
New evidence compels true-crime podcaster Poppy Parnell, played by Octavia Spencer, to reopen a murder case that made her a media sensation. "Breaking Bad" star Aaron Paul plays the man she may have wrongfully put behind bars. The series is based on the novel "Are You Sleeping" by Kathleen Barber.
"Hala" was also released on Apple TV+ today. Written and directed by Minhal Baig, Apple says the film follows a high school senior struggling to balance being a suburban teenager with her traditional Muslim upbringing.
Apple has also released the eighth episodes of "The Morning Show," "See," and "For All Mankind," as well as the fourth episode of "Servant."
Apple TV+ is available through the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and select smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio, as well as online at tv.apple.com. The streaming service costs $4.99 per month in the United States, with a seven-day free trial available.
Its upcoming Galaxy S11 will sport a 108-megapixel sensor for the main camera -- versus the iPhone 11's 12 -- flanked by three more on the back of the device including an ultrawide-angle lens and 5x optical zoom, they said. The marquee device will also adopt a time-of-flight sensor for depth detection similar to one already in the Note 10+, a feature that can aid portrait photos and augmented-reality applications, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing specifications that haven’t been made public.
The high-resolution sensor and 5x zoom camera will also feature in its second Galaxy Fold device, which is expected to be unveiled in February, around the same time as the launch of the Galaxy S11 launch, according to Bloomberg. Affiliate Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. developed the 5x zoom module, which went into production earlier this year.
The arsenal of lenses planned for the rear of the S11 are said to be a key part of Samsung's bid to outshine Apple in next year's smartphone stakes, with 5G connectivity and foldable devices forming the other core pillars of its head-start hardware strategy. Apple's next generation of flagship smartphones aren't expected to arrive until several months later in the fall.
Apple made major changes to the rear camera system in the 2019 iPhone lineup with the new triple-lens setup of the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, and 2020 is expected to bring even more camera improvements.
Rumors suggest Apple will add a laser-powered time-of-flight 3D rear camera to the iPhone 12 Pro, which will bring significant improvements in augmented reality experiences.
The camera is said to be able to scan areas up to 15 feet from the device. Apple's front-facing TrueDepth camera uses similar 3D technology but because it's infrared and not laser-powered, it only works at distances of 25 to 50 centimeters.
Apple plans to release an all-OLED lineup in 2020 consisting of 5.4-inch, two 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch models in the second half of the year, according to the latest prediction from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The 6.1-inch "iPhone 12 Pro" and 6.7-inch "iPhone 12 Pro Max" are expected to feature a triple-lens rear camera. So far, rumors indicate these two higher-end iPhones will use the new time-of-flight rear camera, so it may not be available in the lower-end iPhones that are going to have a lower price tag.
We're hearing multiple reports worldwide from subscribers to Apple TV+, Apple's video streaming service, about the loss of support for watching shows in Dolby Vision HDR on Apple TV 4K set-top boxes connected to compatible 4K TVs.
Over the past two weeks, more and more users have taken to the MacRumors forums, Twitter, Reddit and Apple's discussion pages to highlight the problem, which appears to be affecting not only new show episodes as they're made available, but existing episodes hosted on the service that previously worked in Dolby Vision HDR.
For example, early episodes of "See," "The Morning Show" and "For All Mankind" are no longer being streamed in dynamic Dolby Vision HDR, but revert back to static HDR in HDR10 format on TVs that officially support Dolby Vision. The same goes for brand new episodes of these shows that were released today, despite the fact that they still carry the Dolby Vision HDR support label on the summary screens.
Compared to static HDR10 which works uniformly across content, Dolby Vision HDR use dynamic image metadata that enables Dolby Vision-capable TVs to adapt the extended color gamut and increased contrast range of HDR on a scene-by-scene and even frame-by-frame basis. Losing the DV HDR support can result in scenes that look too dark, appear like a negative image, or have an odd tint to them.
@UHD4k I don’t know if it’s just me but today on my Apple TV 4K when I watch an Apple TV+ show (See and Morning show) it’s in HDR instead of Dolby vision. Used to work fine. Weird.
— Djems (@Djems94) December 6, 2019
Some users have suggested that the affected episodes may still be encoded in Dolby Vision and it's actually a bug in Apple TV's Match Dynamic Range feature that's preventing the set-top box from outputting the source content correctly. However, it seems more likely that Apple has removed support from the source content while it resolves a problem streaming shows in Dolby Vision.
It's worth noting that the problem doesn't currently seem to affect all shows on Apple TV+ for at least some users. There are scattered reports that "The Elephant Mother" documentary and Apple's "Dickinson" show still appear to be streaming in full Dolby Vision HDR, as do some kids shows like "Snoopy in Space."
We've contacted Apple for comment on the issue and will update this article if we learn anything more.
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