MacRumors

The ‌second-generation iPhone‌ SE was announced last week, and with pre-orders taking place on April 17, the first deliveries of the new device have started arriving for customers around the world. Apple has also begun taking orders in several of its online regional stores.

The original ‌iPhone‌ SE was a budget 4-inch ‌iPhone‌ before being discontinued in 2018, but Apple revived the name this month with a new 4.7-inch model that looks like an ‌iPhone‌ 8 but has internals similar to those of the ‌iPhone‌ 11.

The new ‌iPhone‌ SE features an A13 Bionic chip, 3GB RAM, and a low starting price of $399. It's available in white, black, and red, and comes with 64, 128, or 256GB of storage.

On Thursday, Apple released an iOS 13.4.1 update for ‌iPhone‌ SE owners and other models that address an issue which prevented devices running iOS 13.4 from participating in FaceTime calls with devices running older versions of Apple's mobile operating system.

MacRumors readers have confirmed that models arriving to customers today have iOS 13.4 installed, so a day-one software update is highly recommended.

‌‌iPhone‌‌ SE owners can install the new update over-the-air tomorrow through the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

Starting today, the new ‌iPhone‌ SE can be ordered from Apple.com and is also available from Apple Authorized Resellers and select carriers in the U.S. and more than 40 other countries and regions. Join in the discussion on the MacRumors iPhone SE pre-order forum thread.

Apple has begun promoting Apple Pay as a way for people to donate to several causes amid the ongoing global health crisis. Apple has highlighted four causes in particular that users can donate too with ‌Apple Pay‌. All the fundraising appeals are on behalf of GoFundMe.org.

America's Food Fund, launched by Leonardo DiCaprio, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Apple, is working to ensure that all people have reliable access to food in this critical time of need.

Frontline Responders Fund is focusing all its resources on getting critical supplies including masks, gowns, and gloves to medical professionals in hospitals across the world.

The Mental Health Fund aims to support the work of several organizations hosting text-based hotlines that offer crisis intervention and a gateway to long-term care.

The Small Business Relief Fund provides micro-grants to qualifying small businesses negatively impacted by the health crisis. The initiative will supply financial assistance and support to U.S. businesses by providing grants, tools, and resources to help during the crisis.

Apple says ‌Apple Pay‌ is the easiest way to donate to the causes you care about: "With no forms to fill out or accounts to create, you can instantly give with just a tap."

Apple has responded to a recent report on vulnerabilities discovered in its iOS Mail app, claiming the issues do not pose an immediate risk to users.

Earlier this week, San Francisco-based cybersecurity company ZecOps said it had uncovered two zero-day security vulnerabilities affecting Apple's stock Mail app for iPhones and iPads.

One of the vulnerabilities was said to enable an attacker to remotely infect an iOS device by sending emails that consume a large amount of memory. Another could allow remote code execution capabilities. Successful exploitation of the vulnerabilities could potentially allow an attacker to leak, modify, or delete a user's emails, claimed ZecOps.

However, Apple has downplayed the severity of the issues in the following statement, which was given to several media outlets.

"Apple takes all reports of security threats seriously. We have thoroughly investigated the researcher's report and, based on the information provided, have concluded these issues do not pose an immediate risk to our users. The researcher identified three issues in Mail, but alone they are insufficient to bypass iPhone and iPad security protections, and we have found no evidence they were used against customers. These potential issues will be addressed in a software update soon. We value our collaboration with security researchers to help keep our users safe and will be crediting the researcher for their assistance."

The vulnerabilities are said to impact all software versions between iOS 6 and iOS 13.4.1. ZecOps said that Apple has patched the vulnerabilities in the latest beta of iOS 13.4.5, which should be publicly released within the coming weeks. Until then, ZecOps recommends using a third-party email app like Gmail or Outlook, which are apparently not impacted.

When it comes to design, the iPhone SE is identical to the ‌iPhone‌ 8, featuring a 4.7-inch LCD display, thick top and bottom bezels, a single-lens rear camera, and a Touch ID Home button.

Unsurprisingly, the ‌iPhone‌ 8 also looks a lot like the ‌iPhone‌ SE inside, as detailed in a teardown video by a Chinese YouTuber who has one of the devices on hand. The video, which has subtitles, was shared on Reddit earlier today.

Most of the components of the ‌iPhone‌ SE are identical to the ‌iPhone‌ 8, but there are differences in the modem and WiFi chip, the battery connector (which is the same as the battery connector in the ‌iPhone‌ 11, and the flashlight setup. There's also a different rear camera module and, of course, a different processor as the ‌iPhone‌ SE uses the same A13 chip that's in the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and 11 Pro.

Many of the components in the ‌iPhone‌ SE and ‌iPhone‌ 8 were able to function interchangeably, demonstrating just how similar most of the parts are. The front display of the ‌iPhone‌ 8, for example, can be swapped onto an ‌iPhone‌ SE and it fits perfectly.

The ‌iPhone‌ SE is priced at $399 and the first orders will begin arriving to customers tomorrow. We'll see an even closer look inside the ‌iPhone‌ SE once teardown sites like iFixit take apart one of the new smartphones.

Apple appears to have created an official account on popular social networking app TikTok, which is a platform designed to allow users to share short videos.

Apple's account can be accessed through the username @apple on the TikTok website and within the TikTok app. As of now, Apple has posted no videos to the account.

Over the course of the last several years, Apple has become more active on social networks, sharing images on Instagram and introducing accounts for Apple support and services on Twitter. Apple also has an official account on Twitter that has been used to allow people to sign up to receive notifications on event days, but has no tweets.

It's not clear how Apple plans to use its TikTok account. The account could be used to share Shot On iPhone videos as with Instagram, or it could simply be a placeholder account. As 9to5Mac points out, Apple has already been running ads on the TikTok service, so the account could also be related to its advertising efforts.

TikTok, a Chinese-owned social media app, has soared in popularity over the course of the last year, and it has been downloaded more than a billion times.

Users can share short music videos or short looping videos that other TikTok users can watch, and it has simple editing tools for syncing music to video clips, which has lured in users.

Apple CEO Tim Cook today made a surprise appearance on the BBC's "Big Night In" fundraiser in the UK, where he announced Apple's plans to make a significant donation to the event.

Cook also said that Apple would be waiving royalties on a "Times Like These" single that was performed on the show, and would allow UK Apple users to make Big Night In donations from their devices.

On the UK Apple website, there's now a link to make a donation to the cause, though the link only works on devices set to the UK region. Money raised by The Big Night In will be split between Comic Relief and Children in Need and will support local charities and projects that are providing vital emergency support in the UK.

Apple also recently donated $10 million to the "One World: Together at Home" special in the United States, which was put together by Lady Gaga, the World Health Organization, and Global Citizen.

Apple has also sourced and donated more than 20 million N95 masks to healthcare professionals, and its design, engineering, operations, and packaging teams have created and shipped millions of face shields to medical workers.

There appears to be a new character-linked bug in Messages, Mail, and other apps that can cause the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch to crash when receiving a specific string of characters.

In this particular case, the character string involves the Italian flag emoji along with characters in the Sindhi language, and it appears the system crash happens when an incoming notification is received with the problem-causing characters.

Based on information shared on Reddit, the character string began circulating on Telegram, but has also been found on Twitter.

These kind of device-crashing character bugs surface every so often and sometimes become widespread, leading to a significant number of people ending up with a malfunctioning iPhone, iPad, or Mac. In 2018, for example, a character string in the Telugu language circulated around the internet, crashing thousands of devices before Apple addressed the problem in an iOS update.

There is often no way to prevent these characters from causing crashes and freezes when received from a malicious person, and crashes caused through notifications often cause operating system re-springs and in some cases, a need to restore a device in DFU mode.

MacRumors readers should be aware that such a bug is circulating, and for those who are particularly concerned, as this bug appears to impact notifications, turning off notifications may mitigate the effects. Apple typically fixes these character bugs within a few days to a week.

Update: According to MacRumors reader Adam, who tested the bug on a device running iOS 13.4.5, the issue is fixed in the second beta of that update.

Samsung and Apple have partnered to bring the Apple Music app to Samsung TVs, and as of today, the ‌Apple Music‌ service and dedicated app can be accessed on Samsung TV sets manufactured in 2018 and later.

We have a Samsung TV so we thought we'd check out how ‌Apple Music‌ works, as this is the first time that Apple has brought the ‌Apple Music‌ app directly to a smart TV.

Samsung TV owners who also use ‌Apple Music‌ on other devices will find the interface looks and feels familiar. It's almost identical to what you see when using ‌Apple Music‌ on the Apple TV, with a navigation bar that features For You, Browse, Radio, Library, Search, and Settings.

For You features curated music picks from Apple and playlists customized to your listening tastes, while Browse houses content recommendations, more generalized playlists, radio stations, and more, with a focus on trending music and new releases.

Radio, of course, lets you listen to radio stations and Beats 1 shows, Videos houses trending music videos, and Library features your saved ‌Apple Music‌ songs and playlists and personal music stored in iCloud or added through iTunes Match.

A Now Playing tab lets you see what's currently playing, and Search is for looking for specific songs, artists, or albums.

In our testing, the app worked well and was bug-free, and it will be interesting to see whether the ‌Apple Music‌ app expands to additional smart TVs and platforms in the coming months. Perhaps Apple will even bring other services like Podcasts and Apple Arcade to non-Apple platforms at some point in the future.

Along with the ‌Apple Music‌ app, Samsung smart TVs also have an ‌Apple TV‌ app to allow Samsung users to use ‌Apple TV‌+ and iTunes content as Apple works to expand access to its services outside of its own ecosystem.

Though Apple is expanding the ‌Apple Music‌ service to newer smart TVs from Samsung, there are still plans on the horizon for new ‌Apple TV‌ set-top boxes. Rumors suggest Apple is working on a refreshed ‌Apple TV‌ with an updated processor that could come out at some point this year.

Apple today released the iOS 13.4.1 update for iPhone SE owners, suggesting ‌iPhone‌ SE models arriving to customers tomorrow will have iOS 13.4 installed and will need a day-one software update.

‌iPhone‌ SE owners can install the new update over-the-air tomorrow through the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

iOS 13.4.1 was released for other iPhones on April 7 to address an issue that prevented devices running iOS 13.4 from participating in FaceTime calls with devices running iOS 9.3.6 and earlier or OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 and earlier. Release notes for the update are below:

iOS 13.4.1 includes bug fixes for your ‌iPhone‌.

- Fixes an issue where devices running iOS 13.4 could not participate in ‌FaceTime‌ calls with devices running iOS 9.3.6 and earlier or OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 and earlier.
- Addresses a bug with the Settings app where choosing a Bluetooth from the quick actions menu on the Home screen would fail.

The ‌iPhone‌ SE was announced last week, with pre-orders taking place on April 17. The first deliveries of the new device will begin tomorrow.

Apple is working on third-generation AirPods that will go into mass production during the first half of 2021, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a note to investors today.

The new AirPods will adopt the System-in-Package used for the AirPods Pro, replacing the rigid-flex PCB+SMT design of the second-generation AirPods. Kuo says that these internal updates will be the biggest change to the third-generation AirPods, suggesting the update will not include design changes and will continue to look like second-generation AirPods.

The third-generation AirPods will go to mass production in the 1H21, and the most significant change of the internal design of this new model is the adoption of SiP to replace the rigid-flex PCB+SMT design of second-generation AirPods. We believe that Apple will pull in this new model because of the declining demand for second-generation AirPods. Luxshare ICT will be the main supplier for this new model.

Kuo's prediction is somewhat confusing because there have been rumors of an AirPods update coming in 2020, while he suggests no new AirPods are coming until 2021. Leaker Jon Prosser, for example recently said that third-generation AirPods are ready to launch anytime.

There have also been rumors that Apple is working on set of ‌AirPods Pro‌ without Active Noise Cancellation that will feature the ‌AirPods Pro‌ design at a lower price point, but Kuo does not mention these earbuds.

He does, however, say that the market is expecting a new AirPods model in the second half of 2020, but that this is more likely to be a new set of Beats instead of a new set of AirPods, so it's possible all of the "‌AirPods Pro‌ Lite" rumors are referencing new headphones in the Beats lineup.

As for the ‌AirPods Pro‌, Kuo says that a new model will go into mass production in the fourth quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022, which suggests no ‌AirPods Pro‌ refresh in 2020 or early 2021. We can expect Apple's high-end over-ear headphones in 2020, though, as Kuo says that these will enter mass production in mid-2020.

Update: ‌Ming-Chi Kuo‌ issued an update to his original report that indicated third-generation AirPods will go into production in the first half of 2021, not the first half of 2020 as first stated.

Porsche has recently launched new CarPlay-equipped audio systems compatible with classic Porsche vehicles dating as far back as the 1960s (via TechCrunch).

Currently available only in Europe, the systems are available in a 1-DIN size for the 911 and other Porsches with the narrow-format radio standard and a 2-DIN size for the more recent 986 and 996 models supporting larger radio sizes. Pricing comes in at around 1350 euros for the 1-DIN model and 1520 euros for the 2-DIN model.

The audio systems are designed with a Porsche look to match their compatible vehicles, although any touchscreen will obviously look somewhat out of place in a vintage vehicle. In addition to CarPlay, other modern features like onboard navigation and DAB+ digital audio are also supported.

Update: It looks like at least the 1-DIN model will also be coming to the United States and it will be SiriusXM-ready.

In a recently updated support document, Apple has advised customers not to include any bands or accessories when mailing in their Apple Watch to the company for repair, as they apparently will not be returned upon completion of servicing.

AppleInsider spotted the new wording:

Your Apple Watch band and any other accessories that you send won't be returned, so please remove them before sending your Apple Watch in for service.

Learn how to remove your band. If you have a Link Bracelet band, remember to separate the links before you remove the band.

The support document previously said that customers "don't need" to send in their Apple Watch band or other accessories.

AppleInsider reported that Apple's prior approach was to bundle together any bands or accessories sent alongside an Apple Watch and return them when possible. It is unclear what prompted this to change.