Mobile World Congress, a major smartphone trade show event held each year in Barcelona, Spain, has been canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Mobile World Congress event in Spain is a huge trade show that's important to the tech world because it's where many device manufacturers announce new smartphones and other hardware. Apple doesn't participate, but many other major brands make announcements at MWC.
Starting in early February, multiple vendors began pulling out of the event, citing concerns about the coronavirus and the potential for spreading it at such a large event. Intel, LG, Nokia, Vodafone, ZTE, Nvidia, Sony, Amazon, Cisco, Ericsson and other notable companies canceled press conferences and attendance plans.
Given the number of companies refusing to go to MWC, the GSM Association responsible for organizing the event today confirmed to Bloomberg that it's canceled. GSMA CEO John Hoffman said that the virus outbreak has made it "impossible" to hold the event.
The GSMA initially attempted to continue on with MWC, implementing disinfection measures, banning attendees from certain areas in China, and more, but too many companies exited the event. Canceling MWC is similar to canceling CES, as it is a huge deal for new product launches and partnerships.
The coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has infected more than 42,000 people and more than 1,000 people have died, primarily in China.
Back in 2015, Andy Rubin, the co-founder of the Android operating system, started up a company called Essential, focusing on smartphones. Essential launched its Essential Phone PH-1 in 2017, debuting a 5.71-inch device made from titanium and ceramic with an edge-to-edge QHD display.
The Essential Phone was praised for its design, but reviews found faults with the camera, the display, and other features, and it was never popular enough to compete with flagship smartphones from other companies.
The Essential Phone
Essential in October 2019 announced the Gem, a replacement for the Essential Phone, but the Gem is never going to see a release because Essential today announced that it is shutting down.
Our vision was to invent a mobile computing paradigm that more seamlessly integrated with people's lifestyle needs. Despite our best efforts, we've now taken Gem as far as we can and regrettably have no clear path to deliver it to customers. Given this, we have made the difficult decision to cease operations and shutdown Essential.
Essential last year acquired the CloudMagic team and its cross-platform Newton Mail app, which is also affected by the shuttering of the company.
Essential will no longer be providing updates for the Essential Phone, and while it will continue to work, there will be no future software refreshes or customer support available. Newton Mail will be available through April 30, 2020.
The unreleased Essential Gem
Essential says that it offers its "deepest thanks" to the Essential and Newton Mail communities for their "support and passion for our vision."
When it launched, Essential secured over $330 million in funding and at one point, the company had a $1 billion valuation. Essential was impacted by poor sales of its phone and its inability to put out another product.
The Pokémon Company today announced the launch of its "Pokémon Home" cloud service, which is available on iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch. Pokémon Home is designed to allow users to transfer a Pokémon from one game, upload it to a Pokémon Box in the cloud, and then send it to another compatible game.
By linking the same Nintendo Account to Pokémon Home on the Nintendo Switch and an iOS device, Pokémon players can access the same Pokémon boxes from both platforms.
The Nintendo Switch version of Pokémon Home works with Pokémon Sword, Pokémon Shield, and Pokémon: Let's Go, while both the Switch version and the mobile version offer connectivity with the Nintendo 3DS software Pokémon Bank for transferring Pokémon from older games. In the future, the software will support Pokémon GO.
Along with transferring Pokémon between games, the Pokémon Home app also supports trades, and there are several trading methods available. Pokémon can be placed in a Wonder Box, traded via the GTS for specific Pokémon trades, added to a Room Trade event with up to 20 people, or traded with a friend.
Pokémon placed in Pokémon Home will be registered in the National Pokédex, including Mega Evolve or Gigantimax forms. The iOS version of Pokémon Home includes information on Pokémon abilities and the moves each Pokémon is able to learn.
Pokémon Home can be downloaded and used for free, but without upgrading to the premium tier, functionality is limited. Moving Pokémon from the Pokémon Bank, for example, is a premium feature, and the number of Pokémon that can be deposited or traded is also limited.
The Pokémon Home premium plan is priced at $2.99 for one month, $4.99 for three months, and $15.99 for a year. The Pokémon Home app can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Taiwan-based suppliers are gearing up for production of a new lower-cost iPhone, a device that has been tentatively referred to as the iPhone SE 2 or iPhone 9, according to paywalled information shared by DigiTimes.
While the lower-cost iPhone may be on track, DigiTimes also reports that Apple has stopped sending engineers to China to assist with the Engineering Validation Test or EVT stage of iPhone 12 development. Last month, Apple said it was restricting travel to China to "business critical" purposes only due to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, which has also forced many Apple suppliers to suspend operations.
As a result, DigiTimes believes iPhone 12 models are unlikely to enter production in June, citing unnamed industry sources. Given the coronavirus outbreak is a fluid situation, though, timeframes may change. If the production delay ends up materializing, it is still very possible that Apple will announce its iPhone 12 lineup in September as usual, even if supply of the devices is tighter than usual.
Rumors suggest that the iPhone 12 lineup will include four new models, including one 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch model, and each will likely be equipped with a faster Apple-designed A14 chip. DigiTimes expects A14 chip orders to be 50-60 percent higher than A13 chip orders.
All of this information was shared in DigiTimes' Daily Digest for paying subscribers, with the full reports likely to be released by tomorrow.
Update: The full DigiTimes report has been released and, as we suspected, it claims that the iPhone 12 production delays are unlikely to affect Apple's plan to announce the new devices in September.
Last week, we reported that many custom iMac, iMac Pro, and MacBook Pro configurations are facing longer-than-usual delivery estimates on Apple's online store in the United States.
The reason for the delays is unconfirmed, but it could be related to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China that has forced many of Apple's suppliers to temporarily close their factories and suspend production. While some factories are beginning to resume operations, initial production appears to be limited.
In any case, the delay has extended to the new Mac Pro. In many European countries, for example, the base model without any customizations is currently estimated for delivery on March 10. While the new Mac Pro is assembled in the United States for orders placed in the Americas, European orders are assembled in China.
The new Mac Pro also has a February 24-26 delivery estimate in the United States, despite being assembled in Texas, possibly because some components are still sourced from temporarily-closed suppliers in China.
The coronavirus outbreak is a fluid situation, so it remains unclear what its impact might be on upcoming Apple products. Last month, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo outlined his expectations for several new Apple products in the first half of 2020, including refreshed MacBook Pro/Air models, refreshed iPad Pro models with a triple-lens rear camera system, Tile-like item tracking tags, high-end wireless headphones, a small wireless charging mat, and a new lower-cost 4.7-inch iPhone.
MacMall today is discounting Apple's 64GB cellular 11-inch iPad Pro to $749.00, down from an original price of $949.00. This same iPad Pro is priced between $825 and $925 on competing retailer websites like Best Buy and Adorama, and this $749.00 price tag represents the best-ever price that we've tracked among the major Apple resellers online.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with MacMall. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
MacMall offers free two-day shipping and free returns on certain high-priced items, and the iPad Pro is eligible. The tablet is in stock, so if ordered today it will arrive by Friday, February 14. During checkout, you can also choose to change the storage size and color of the iPad, add AppleCare, or add accessories, but of course that will raise the price of the order.
11-Inch iPad Pro Sale
64GB Cellular - $749.00, down from $949.00 ($200 off, lowest ever)
The new lowest-ever discount on the 64GB cellular 11-inch iPad Pro comes after a round of markdowns hit Apple's entire iPad lineup earlier this week. If you visit our article on the sales, you'll find lowest prices on the iPad mini 5, 10.2-inch iPad, and a few other iPad Pro models, in addition to up to $50 off the iPad Air.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
Reuters reports that Apple's main iPhone assembler Foxconn aims to reopen half of its manufacturing facilities in China by the end of February. The move would allow production lines to be phased back into action following the extensive lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Taiwan's Foxconn hopes to resume half of its production in China by month-end, a source told Reuters on Wednesday, as the supplier to tech giant Apple and others reopens plants shut over a coronavirus outbreak.
The world's largest contract electronics maker also aims to resume 80 percent of production in China in March, added the source, who has direct knowledge of the matter, citing internal targets set by Chairman Liu Young-Way.
Foxconn was originally planning to reopen its factories on February 10 to begin production on Apple devices after the Lunar New Year holiday, but the company's plans were put on hold due to the ongoing viral outbreak while facility inspections were performed. Local governments are concerned the virus will spread quickly in a labor-intensive working environment.
Foxconn this week got the go-ahead to reopen some major plants in China, and its plant in the eastern city of Kunshan was also approved on Tuesday to resume production. However, only around one tenth of the workforce had returned to two key plants in southern Shenzhen and central Zhengzhou as of Monday, a source told Reuters.
Apple has also extended the shutdown of its own retail stores in China. Stores were supposed to open on Monday, but Apple has decided to wait until February 15.
Apple typically sources components from multiple suppliers, mainly to diversify local production risks, and Apple is mulling shifting more assembly orders for its new models slated for launch in the first half of 2020 to factories in Taiwan, according to DigiTimes.
Last month we reported that Samsung was working on its own AirDrop killer for Galaxy devices, called Quick Share. On Tuesday, the Korean company unveiled its new trio of Galaxy S20 phones, and we finally got a better idea of what the local file-sharing feature can do.
On the face of it, Quick Share works just like Apple's AirDrop, in that if you're near another user with a supported device, they will show up on your screen and you can share a picture, video, or file with them. Similarly, Galaxy users can also choose to receive files from anyone or only people in their contacts.
However, Quick Share has an added feature that AirDrop lacks – it allows you to share files with up to five people simultaneously. With AirDrop, you can only send to one recipient at a time.
It'll be interesting to see if Apple develops AirDrop further in response to Samsung's Quick Share feature, given that we already know Apple is continually looking to improve its ad-hoc file sharing service. The most recent addition to AirDrop's capabilities is "directional AirDrop," which allows users to point an iPhone 11 at another iPhone user to instantly share files with them.
The feature was made possible by the U1 Wideband chip included in iPhone 11 devices that allows the distance between two Ultra Wideband devices to be measured precisely by calculating the time that it takes for a radio wave to pass between the two devices.
Apple says that the directional AirDrop feature is "just the beginning" of what is possible with Ultra Wideband, and says that "amazing new capabilities" are coming later.
The first Android smartphones with Ultra Wideband technology are expected to be released starting later in 2020. Meanwhile, Google is also working on its own AirDrop-like feature called Nearby Sharing for Pixel phones.
In addition, China's big three mobile vendors are working collectively on an AirDrop-style peer-to-peer transfer protocol that is expected to launch this month. All of which suggests the development of new close-proximity file-sharing features could well hot up between the big players in the coming years.
Android used to have an NFC-based AirDrop equivalent called Android Beam, but it was discontinued with Android 10. Users have had to resort to third-party alternatives like Google's Files Go app since.
Quick Share is currently only available for the new Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra 5G, but Samsung says support for other devices is coming soon.
Apple Pay could account for 10 percent of global card transactions by 2025 and pose a serious challenge to rivals like PayPal, according to recent trend data compiled by research firm Bernstein.
Drawing from the data, Quartz reports that Apple Pay currently accounts for about 5 percent of global transactions. If that growth trend continues, it may well become a long-term competitive threat to PayPal – and could even end up competing with Visa and Mastercard if it chose to set up its own payments network much further down the line.
Apple Pay probably won't pose a challenge to the card giants anytime soon. While the tech company could, in theory, create its own network that runs outside the card systems, Bernstein argues that Apple still needs the card networks, which are ubiquitous and trusted. Visa and MasterCard, meanwhile, are used to dealing with partners (traditionally large card-issuing banks) with the kind of scale that even Apple Pay could muster.
The same may not be true for other wallets. "Apple Pay is indeed one of the long-term competitive threats to PayPal," Bernstein analysts wrote. For now, PayPal has a commanding lead in the world of online checkouts, and also benefits from network effects that have been building up since the turn of the century. But Apple and PayPal could end up competing for the same turf in the coming years.
Apple's advantage over other digital payments includes its pre-installed Wallet app for iPhone and its tight control over the NFC technology contained within the device that can process contactless payments.
However, that tight control could cause headaches for Apple if it is perceived as a way to block competition. Apple argues that its policies are strictly for security purposes, but it has already run into difficulties in Australia, where big banks want access to the iPhone's NFC function for a competitive level playing field.
The company has also faced a backlash in in Germany, where a parliamentary committee recently passed an amendment to an anti-money laundering law that could force Apple to open up the NFC chip in iPhones to competing mobile payment providers.
In November 2019, the European Union's competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager acknowledged that her department has received "many concerns" over Apple Pay and potential anticompetitive issues.
Apple is said to be working with supply chain partners in Taiwan on several upcoming products, including a so-called "AirPod Pro Lite," according to DigiTimes. Other products mentioned include next-generation iPad, Apple Watch, and iMac models, all of which will be due for updates in the coming months, although some like the iPad and Apple Watch are unlikely to launch before September.
The AirPod Pro Lite mention comes without further details, buried in a report about Apple looking to ramp up production with partners in Taiwan as it seeks to geographically diversify Apple's supply chain amid the ongoing coronavirus epidemic that has significantly impacted production in China.
Apple, maintaining partnerships with supply chains in both Taiwan and China, may have its Taiwanese partners handle more production of new-generation iPad, Apple Watch, AirPod Pro Lite and iMac devices to be released later, as the epidemic has raised risks of raw materials supply shortages and shipments disruptions arising from uncertain resumption of normal operations at components suppliers and assembly plants in China, the sources said.
It's unclear exactly what DigiTimes is referring to by "AirPod Pro Lite," as Apple just released the AirPods Pro in October of last year. That followed the launch of second-generation regular AirPods in March 2019, and with only $50 separating the AirPods Pro from the wireless case version of the regular AirPods, we're not sure how a "Lite" version of the AirPods Pro would fit into Apple's lineup.
While DigiTimes often has some insight into Apple's product pipeline through the supply chain, the publication is less accurate when it comes to specific details like product naming and timing, so it's possible these could be a third generation of the regular AirPods, but we'll have to wait for additional rumors to surface before we have a better picture of what to expect.
Samsung today announced a new slate of 2020 smartphones, debuting a range of devices that include the S20 5G, the S20+ 5G, the S20 Ultra 5G, and the most novel, the foldable Galaxy Z Flip.
MacRumors videographer Dan was in attendance at Samsung's Unpacked event in San Francisco, and he was able to spend some hands-on time with the new smartphones. Watch the video below for some close-up details and opinions on Samsung's new lineup, which competes both with Apple's current lineup and its upcoming 2020 smartphones, which we expect to see in September.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip is its second foldable device, but the first that's designed with a smartphone form factor. The device starts out as a 6.7-inch smartphone, but folds in half to make it more pocketable.
The Z Flip is Samsung's first foldable smartphone that uses a glass display, with Samsung adopting new ultra thin foldable glass technology. Using glass rather than a laminate material results in a nicer display and a device that overall, feels more premium.
The hinge feels sturdier than the hinge in the Galaxy Fold, and it's a neat design because it can be set to multiple different angles and used in what's called "Flex Mode" while half folded. In this mode, the bottom half props up the top half for a hands-free mode that can be used for selfies and unique photography opportunities.
Because of the hinge design and the way that it's meant to be used at multiple angles, the Z Flip doesn't open as easily as traditional flip phones, which is a net positive. It has a solid build and doesn't feel as fragile as the Galaxy Fold.
Samsung is charging a whopping $1,380 for the Galaxy Z Flip, which is sensationally expensive for what's essentially a gimmick, but it is a high-quality, solid design that demonstrates what's possible with foldable display technology.
Samsung also showed off its new Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra flagship devices, all of which feature 5G connectivity, huge batteries, giant bezel-free displays, and impressive camera technology.
Samsung's smartphones range in size from 6.2 to 6.9 inches, and on the higher end, 6.9-inches is massive, especially for a device that has a bezel-free design with just a single pinhole camera cutout at the top. All of the phones offer HDR10+ support along with 120Hz refresh rates, but using the 120Hz refresh rate requires bumping the resolution down to 1080p.
There are some unique camera features, especially in the high-end Samsung S20 Ultra. It features a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera, a 108-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 48-megapixel telephoto camera, and a Depth Vision Camera.
The cameras are designed to take improved images in low lighting conditions, and Samsung showed off an impressive 10x lossless zoom feature that offers a total of 100x zoom on the S20 Ultra.
When it comes to batteries, these smartphones have 4,000 to 5,000mAh capacities, which beats out anything the iPhone has to offer at the current time. Samsung's devices are definitely premium and are bringing Samsung's best tech to lure smartphone users away from the iPhone, but they also have premium prices.
The Galaxy S20 has a price tag of $1,000, the S20+ is priced at $1,200, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra is priced at $1,400 and is a bit more expensive than the Galaxy Z Flip.
We're going to have more in-depth coverage of the Galaxy Z Flip and Samsung's new S20 smartphones coming in the near future, so expect to see some detailed comparisons with Apple's smartphones starting later this week.
Antivirus software developer Malwarebytes today shared its State of Malware Report for 2020 [PDF], which suggests that Mac malware is growing much more common.
For the first time ever, Macs outpaced Windows PCs in the number of threats detected per endpoint. Malwarebytes detected 11 threats per endpoint for its Mac users, compared to 5.8 for its Windows users. The Mac threats were up quite a bit from the 4.8 threats detected per endpoint in 2018.
Malwarebytes says that there was a 400 percent increase in the overall prevalence of Mac threats in 2019, but part of that increase is attributable to an increase in the Malwarebytes for Mac user base, which is why the threats per endpoint metric was used for comparison purposes. Malwarebytes claims that the average number of threats detected on a Mac has surpassed Windows "by a great deal."
This means that the average number of threats detected on a Mac is not only on the rise, but has surpassed Windows--by a great deal. This is likely because, with increasing market share in 2019, Macs became more attractive targets to cybercriminals. In addition, macOS' built-in security systems have not cracked down on adware and PUPs to the same degree that they have malware, leaving the door open for these borderline programs to infiltrate.
This data only includes threats detected by the Malwarebytes software, of course, and it is limited to Mac users who have Malwarebytes installed. Many Mac users may not install antivirus software like Malwarebytes until there's a sign of something wrong, so it's important to take that into account when viewing these numbers.
Adware overall was more aggressive in 2019, targeting consumer and business endpoints on Windows, Mac, and Android devices. There were a total of 24 million Windows adware detections and 30 million Mac detections, with the top consumer threat detections belonging to adware families.
According to Malwarebytes, the Mac threats appeared at the top of its overall threat detections for the first time. The number one Mac threat detected was a family of adware called NewTab, installed as a browser extension or as an app. NewTab aims to redirect searches on the web to earn illicit ad revenue.
Most Mac threats are not as dangerous as some of the threats detected on Windows machines and consist of adware and potentially unwanted programs. The most common traditional Mac malware family, OSX.Generic.Suspicious was far down on the list of Mac-specific malware detections in the 30th spot.
Potentially unwanted programs include "cleaning" apps like MacKeeper and MacBooster, along with apps like Advanced Mac Cleaner, Mac Adware Cleaner, and others. Of all Mac threats, only one incident used a technique other than tricking the user into downloading and opening something they shouldn't.
That is the incident in which Coinbase, and several other cryptocurrency companies, were targeted with malware that infected systems through a Firefox zero- day vulnerability. Affected systems were infected with the older Wirenet and Mokes malware. This was the first time such a vulnerability had been used to infect Macs in any significant way since 2012, when Java vulnerabilities were used repeatedly to infect Macs (until Apple ripped Java out of the system, ending the threats).
According to Malwarebytes, adware and unwanted problems are becoming a more noticeable nuisance to Mac users overall, and Mac users can "no longer say that their beloved systems are immune from malware."
Apple today sent out emails advertising its latest Apple Pay promo, which offers $15 off of an order of $30 or more in the 1-800-Flowers app or on 1800Flowers.com.
To get the discount, customers need to make a purchase of $30 and then use Apple Pay when checking out. Input the promo code PAYFASTER to get the deal. Apple says that the promo code can't be combined or used with other discounts or promotions.
The offer is valid from today through February 14, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time and can only be used with purchases made with Apple Pay.
Siri, the built-in voice assistant on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, HomePod, and other devices, is now able to answer questions related to the 2020 U.S. election and deliver live results as votes are counted, reports TechCrunch.
Siri is able to answer information queries such as "When are the California primaries?" along with questions that involve real-time information like "Who's winning the New Hampshire primaries?"
Live results are provided by the Associated Press, with this information also used in the Apple News app to provide county-by-county results and a map tracking candidate wins in each state primary.
The updated Siri feature is part of Apple's special coverage of the 2020 presidential election in the United States in the Apple News app, which Apple announced last week.
Apple's election coverage includes news and analysis from dozens of sources along with live streamed debates and other content. Apple plans to continue offering election coverage through the 2021 presidential inauguration.
Election information provided by Siri is rolling out now, and should be available to everyone soon.
Note: Due to the political 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.
At its Unpacked event in San Francisco, Samsung today introduced its Galaxy S20 5G lineup, featuring the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra smartphones with 5G connectivity, new camera technology, and more.
The Galaxy S20 features a 6.2-inch AMOLED display, the Galaxy S20+ features a 6.7-inch AMOLED display, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra features a 6.9-inch AMOLED display. All three displays are full screen with small camera cutouts and ultrasonic fingerprint sensors, facial recognition capabilities, HDR10+ certification, and 120Hz refresh rates.
The Galaxy S20+ and the Galaxy S20 Ultra work with both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G networks, while the Galaxy S20 is limited to sub-6GHz 5G connectivity. mmWave is the fastest 5G, but will be limited to major urban areas, while the slower sub-6GHz network will be more widespread.
Galaxy S20 Ultra
Samsung's entry-level Galaxy S20 features a triple-lens camera setup with 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, and a 64-megapixel telephoto lens.
Galaxy S20+
The Galaxy S20+ features the same cameras, along with a fourth "Depth Vision" camera, while the Galaxy S20 Ultra has a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera, a 108-megapixel wide-angle camera, and a 48-megapixel telephoto camera, along with the Depth Vision Camera.
Samsung says all of the cameras in the new smartphones are able to let in more light for better images in poor lighting conditions, and the S20 Ultra can shift dynamically between a 108-megapixel mode and a 12-megapixel mode.
Galaxy S20 Ultra Cameras
All three smartphones feature "Space Zoom" that allows users to zoom in up to 30x on the Galaxy S20 and S20+, while the S20 Ultra has 10x lossless zoom for a total of 100x zoom.
A "Single Take" feature lets the Galaxy S20 smartphones take a number of photos and videos at once, like live focus, cropped, ultra wide, and more, and then use AI to recommend the best shot of the bunch.
The new smartphones support 8K video shooting with "Super Steady" and anti-rolling stabilization features. There are also 10-megapixel front-facing camera setups on each of the new smartphones.
Samsung Galaxy S20
All of the new smartphones are powered by a 7-nanometer 64-bit Octa-Core processor. The S20 and S20+ offer 12GB RAM, while the S20 Ultra offers 12 or 16GB depending on the model purchased. Storage starts at 128GB, but a 512GB option is available for the higher-end devices.
The S20 features a 4,000mAh battery, the S20+ features a 4,500mAh battery, and the S20 Ultra features a 5,000mAh battery. Fast wireless charging is supported and the smartphones ship with a 25W charger.
Samsung is offering the smartphones in multiple colors. The S20 is available in Cosmic Gray, Cloud Blue, and Cloud Pink, while the S20+ is available in Cosmic Gray, Cloud Blue, and Cosmic Black. The S20 Ultra is available in Cosmic Gray and Cosmic Black.
The new Samsung smartphones will be available for purchase on March 6, with pre-orders to kick off on February 21. Pricing starts at $999.99 for the Galaxy S20 5G, $1,199.99 for the Galaxy S20+ 5G, and $1,399.99 for the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G.
Alongside the new Galaxy S20 smartphone lineup, Samsung also launched the Galaxy Z Flip foldable smartphone and the Galaxy Buds+, coming on February 14 for $149.
The Galaxy Buds+ are Samsung's latest AirPods competitor, featuring a two-way speaker for improved sound, three microphones, longer 11-hour battery life, and improved connectivity. MacRumors videographer Dan is attending Samsung's Unpacked event and Samsung is allowing members of the media to test out the devices after the announcements are finished, so we'll have a hands-on video coming later today featuring the Galaxy Z Flip and the new Galaxy S20 smartphones.
Last week, BlueMail co-founders Ben Volach and Dan Volach penned an open letter that encouraged any developers who feel that Apple kicked them out of the App Store or has treated them unfairly to share their stories.
BlueMail itself was removed from the Mac App Store in June 2019 after Apple found the app to be in violation of several App Store Review Guidelines, but the Volach brothers disagreed and argued that Apple showed "little willingness to resolve the issue" and provided "shifting explanations" as to why the app was removed from the Mac App Store and why it could not be reinstated.
Apple has since responded to the matter, refuting many of BlueMail's claims and noting that its App Store Review Guidelines apply evenly to all developers.
In a statement last week, shared with MacRumors, Apple said it "attempted on multiple occasions to assist them in getting their BlueMail app back on the Mac App Store," but said "they have refused our help." Apple added that BlueMail was "proposing to override basic data security protections which can expose users' computers to malware that can harm their Macs and threaten their privacy."
"When we wrote to Tim Cook in November, we heard back in hours. When we wrote to Apple's developer community, BlueMail was back on the App Store within a week," said Dan Volach, co-founder at Blix. "If you're out there too scared to come forward, let this be your proof that speaking out works. To Apple, we want to reiterate that all we want for developers is an opportunity to be treated fairly."
Apple's response, however, suggests that BlueMail refused to take the necessary steps for its app to be reinstated on the Mac App Store until now.
Specifically, Apple says its Developer Technical Support team advised the BlueMail team to make changes to how it packages its Mac app in order to resolve a security and privacy warnings issue related to the app creating a new binary with a bundle ID that changes on each launch.
Apple says that BlueMail finally submitted a revised version of its app with an updated binary respecting Gatekeeper on February 7, two days after its open letter to developers. Apple says its App Review team found that the previous issues had been addressed, allowing it to return to the Mac App Store as of Monday.
Nevertheless, BlueMail parent company Blix today said it has no intention of dropping its legal case against Apple, which it believes extends beyond the removal of BlueMail on the Mac App Store to the "suppression of its iOS app" and the "infringement of Blix's patented technology through 'Sign in with Apple.'"
"We're happy that users can once again get BlueMail through the Mac App Store, but we know this isn't the end. Our experience has shown that until the app review process includes effective checks and balances, Apple holds too much power over small developers," said Ben Volach, co-founder at Blix. "One solution could be to include external independent members and observers in Apple's App Review Board, just as a public company's Board of Directors represents its shareholders."
BlueMail parent company Blix's lawsuit against Apple, filed in October 2019, alleges that the "Hide My Email" feature of "Sign in with Apple" infringes on its patented technology. The complaint also accuses Apple of anticompetitive behavior, including removing BlueMail from the Mac App Store at the time.
Samsung today officially debuted the Galaxy Z Flip, its newest flagship foldable smartphone. Unlike Samsung's first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, the Z Flip is a smartphone-sized device that folds in half. Samsung called it a stylish smartphone designed for trendsetters and people who want to stand out.
Samsung first unveiled the smartphone on Sunday with a commercial that was shown during the Oscars, but the full announcement includes additional details about the device.
The major selling point for the Galaxy Z Flip is its small size, as it can fold in half and be tucked into a pocket. When folded out, it features a 6.7-inch Infinity Flex AMOLED display that's full screen with the exception of a small camera cutout at the top. Samsung says that the Z Flip is its first ever smartphone with a 21.9:9 ratio, and that the display is made from bendable "Ultra Thin Glass."
There's a Hideaway Hinge, which Samsung calls a "work of engineering art," with the hinge able to withstand 200,000 folds. The hinge uses a sweeper technology that includes nylon fibers to repel dirt and dust, a problem that affected Samsung's first foldable smartphone.
The phone can be used folded out into a traditional smartphone shape, but it can also be used folded in half similar to a makeup compact with the bottom half propping up the top half for a hands-free mode.
When folded in half, the Z Flip is in "Flex Mode," with an interface optimized for a hands-free selfie and vlogging experience using the 10-megapixel front-facing camera. Because the Galaxy Z Flip can hold its position at multiple angles, Samsung says it can capture "amazing low angle" photos that "play with perception" using the rear camera.
A Multi-Active Window feature allows users to multi-task by opening up the Multi-Window Tray to drag and drop the apps they want to use. One app can occupy each half of the Z Flip.
There's a small display on the back of the smartphone so that when it's folded up, users are still able to see the time, incoming notifications, and other relevant information. Tapping a notification on the cover screen will transition to the app while unfolding the phone.
Samsung included a dual battery inside the Galaxy Z Flip with a 3,300mAh capacity. That doesn't quite match the battery life of the S20 series, but Samsung says it will "last all day long."
Samsung says that the Galaxy Z Flip will be available in limited quantities in Mirror Purple and Black starting in the U.S. and Korea on February 14, 2020, followed by Mirror Gold in select countries. Pricing starts at $1,380.
Apple today released a Catalyst-based Swift Playgrounds app for the Mac, which was built from the existing Swift Playgrounds app for the iPad.
Like Swift Playgrounds for iPad, Swift Playgrounds for Mac is designed to provide exercises and challenges to help users learn the basics of coding. The app requires no coding knowledge to use and is ideal for students who are just starting out with coding.
Swift Playgrounds is a revolutionary app for Mac and iPad that makes it fun to learn and experiment with code. You solve interactive puzzles in the guided "Learn to Code" lessons to master the basics of coding, or experiment with a wide range of challenges that let you explore many unique coding experiences.
Swift Playgrounds requires no coding knowledge, so it's perfect for students just starting out, from twelve to one-hundred-and-twelve. The whole time you are learning Swift, a powerful programming language created by Apple and used by professionals to build many of today's most popular apps. Code you write works seamlessly as you move between Mac and iPad.
Swift Playgrounds for Mac is available from the Mac App Store as of today, and it is a free download. [Direct Link]
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