Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.4 updates to developers, one week after the release of iOS 13.3.1 with new toggle for turning off the U1 chip.
iOS and iPadOS 13.4 can be downloaded from the Apple Developer center or over the air once the proper developer profile has been installed. On the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, the beta must be installed using the configuration profile.
There's no word on what's included in the iOS 13.4 update, but as a major 13.x update, it could include minor design changes and feature tweaks along with bug fixes for issues not able to be addressed in iOS 13.3.1.
iOS 13.4 includes iCloud Folder Sharing, new Memoji stickers, an updated Mail toolbar, and more. For a rundown of everything that's new in iOS 13.4, make sure to check out our dedicated article listing the updated features.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming 10.15.4 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after releasing the macOS Catalina 10.15.3 update.
The new macOS Catalina beta can be downloaded using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper software from the Developer Center.
We don't know what improvements the fourth update to macOS Catalina will bring, but it likely includes performance improvements, security updates, and fixes for bugs that weren't able to be fixed in the macOS Catalina 10.15.3 update.
macOS Catalina 10.15.4 includes Screen Time Communication Limits, a feature first brought to the iPhone in the iOS 13.3 update, and it features a new Head Pointer Accessibility option that allows the cursor to be controlled with head movements using the Mac's camera.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 13.4 update to developers, one week after releasing the tvOS 13.3.1 update.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 13.4 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.
tvOS updates are usually minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than major outward-facing changes. The tvOS 13.4 update introduces some minor design changes to streamline the look of the TV app interface, plus it introduces Family Sharing integration so users can access iTunes content purchased by family members without having to leave the app.
While we don't often know what's new in tvOS during the beta testing process, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download it upon release.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 6.2 update to developers, one week after releasing the watchOS 6.1.2 update with bug fixes.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
The watchOS 6.2 update brings support for in-app purchases to the App Store for Apple Watch, and will allow developers to sell Apple Watch apps that offer in-app purchase options.
Back in October, the developers behind email app BlueMail sued Apple, alleging that the "Hide My Email" feature of "Sign in with Apple" infringes on its patented technology. The complaint [PDF] also accuses Apple of anticompetitive behavior, including removing BlueMail from the Mac App Store.
"Hide My Email" hides a user's personal email address by substituting it with a unique, random email address when setting up an account in an app or on a website that supports "Sign in with Apple."
A unique, random email address is created, so your personal email address isn't shared with the app or website developer during the account setup and sign in process. This address is unique to you and the developer and follows this format: @privaterelay.appleid.com
For example, if j.appleseed@icloud.com is your Apple ID, your unique, random email address for a given app might look like dpdcnf87nu@privaterelay.appleid.com.
Any messages sent to this address by the app or website developer are automatically forwarded to your personal email address by our private email relay service. You can read and respond directly to these emails and still keep your personal address private.
After writing a public letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlueMail co-founders Ben Volach and Dan Volach said that they were contacted by Apple within a few hours, but they claim that the correspondence was merely a delay tactic.
We were overjoyed when we heard back from Apple within the day – within just a few hours in fact. It seemed to share our desire for a mutual solution and we worked quickly to meet its requests, but these too were just tactics meant to delay us.
Rerouted to teams that didn’t respond for weeks, told outright that our app doesn't run on macOS Catalina when we can prove it does, and given contradictory guidance from different teams within Apple, we found ourselves back at square one. Perhaps even worse than square one, because Apple’s legal team saw our willingness to work together as weakness and strengthened its stance against us.
Now, the Volach brothers have penned an open letter to the developer community, encouraging any developers who feel that Apple has kicked them out of the App Store or otherwise treated them unfairly to reach out to BlueMail and share their stories.
If any of that sounds familiar to you, if Apple has kicked you out of its App Store, used its developer guidelines to control your innovation, hijacked your store ranking, or (let's be honest with each other) lied to you while it steals your technology, it's time to talk. Even if you're not sure you want to go through with it (because we know how scary it can be), tell us your story. We won't share anything about you without your consent.
A lot of attention was placed on the congressional hearings in Colorado on January 17, but there are many who don't have the standing of Sonos or Tile. Together, we will have a voice.
We want to be back on the App Store, but we also want fairness. For us. For you. For all developers. Take a stand with us and email fair@bluemail.me with your experience.
BlueMail was removed from the Mac App Store in June 2019, the same month that Apple introduced "Sign in with Apple." In a nutshell, Apple found the app to be violating several App Store Review Guidelines, but the Volach brothers disagree and are now looking for other developers similarly situated to bolster their case.
BlueMail remains available on other platforms, including iOS and Android.
Update — Feb 11, 2020: BlueMail has returned to the Mac App Store. In a press release, BlueMail parent company Blix said it has no intention of dropping its legal case against Apple, which it says 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."
"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 annual Back to School event launched in Japan today, with Apple offering students a gift card worth up to 18,000 yen ($165) when making a purchase.
The highest gift card amount is available with the purchase of a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac Pro, or iMac, with Apple offering 12,000 yen for iPad Pro and iPad Air models.
As noted by Japanese site Mac Otakara, the educational discounts are available for students, faculty, and staff at universities, technical colleges, and vocational schools, as well as parents and those active as PTA officers.
Apple is also providing AppleCare+ to students at a discount of 20 percent, and purchases will come with a free year of Apple TV+. The Back to School promotion will be available from February 6 to April 6.
The latest slate of Anker products have been discounted on Amazon this week, and we're seeing solid sales on portable batteries, wireless chargers, USB-C wall chargers, Bluetooth speakers and headphones, power strips, and more. Many of the items have been automatically discounted, but some do require promo codes, which you can find below.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Notable items in the sale include Anker's PowerCore Fusion Charger, which combines a wall charger with a 5,000 mAh portable battery and is available for $25.49, down from $35.99. There are a few options for portable batteries in the sale, ranging from 10,000 mAh to 26,800 mAh batteries, both of which provide plenty of charge to smartphones while you're on the go, and can also fuel up iPads and even MacBook notebooks.
Apple Card users will be able to export their transaction data in an OFX file format for use with third-party financial apps "within the next few days," a support representative said in an online chat with customer Jed Schmidt.
The exporting feature rolled out last month, but only with CSV file support. Apple said an OFX option would be available in the future. The option to export transactions shows up when a monthly statement is available, and the data can then be imported into budgeting apps like Quicken and Mint.
How to Export and Download Apple Card Transactions
Open the Wallet app on your iPhone and tap on Apple Card.
Tap on Card Balance.
Under Statements, tap on the statement you want to export.
Tap on Export Transactions, and then email, print, save, or share the file.
Apple launched its credit card in the United States in August. Key features include color-coded spending summaries in the Wallet app, no fees beyond any applicable interest, and up to three percent cashback on purchases paid out daily.
To apply for an Apple Card, simply open the Wallet app on an iPhone running iOS 12.4 or later, tap the plus button in the top-right corner, and follow the on-screen steps. The process takes just a few minutes, and if approved, your digital Apple Card will be ready for purchases immediately. A physical titanium-based Apple Card is also available for use at retail stores that do not accept contactless payments.
Nearly five months after the release of iOS 13, Google has finally updated its Translate app with Dark Mode support on the iPhone and iPad, although the color scheme is dark gray rather than true black.
Dark Mode in the Google Translate app is tied to the system-level appearance selected in Settings > Display & Brightness > Appearance.
A new vulnerability has been discovered in the Philips Hue smart lighting system that could let hackers gain access to the local host network and other devices connected to it.
Discovered by Check Point Research and demonstrated in a video, the flaw relates to the Zigbee communication protocol used by Philips Hue bulbs and a number of other smart home devices, including Amazon's Ring, Samsung SmartThings, Ikea Tradfri, and Belkin's WeMo.
According to the security researchers, the vulnerability could allow a local attacker to take control of Hue light bulbs using a malicious over-the-air update and cause the bulbs to exhibit random behavior and become uncontrollable. If the user then deletes the bulb and re-adds it in the Hue app, the attacker is able to gain access to the Hue bridge.
The hacker-controlled bulb with updated firmware then uses the ZigBee protocol vulnerabilities to trigger a heap-based buffer overflow on the control bridge, by sending a large amount of data to it. This data also enables the hacker to install malware on the bridge – which is in turn connected to the target business or home network.
Every Philips Hue Hub connected to the internet should have automatically updated itself to version 1935144040, which patches this specific vulnerability. Users can check themselves by looking to see if any updates are available for the Hue app.
The flaw actually relies on a vulnerability that was originally discovered in 2016 and which can't be patched, as it would require a hardware update to the smart bulbs.
"Many of us are aware that IoT devices can pose a security risk," said Yaniv Balmas, Head of Cyber Research at Check Point Research. "But this research shows how even the most mundane, seemingly 'dumb' devices such as lightbulbs can be exploited by hackers and used to take over networks, or plant malware."
Apple's primary iPhone assembler Foxconn has slashed its 2020 revenue outlook after strict quarantines at its main base in China to guard against the coronavirus outbreak (via Bloomberg).
The company is now projecting a sales increase of 1% to 3% this year, Chairman Young Liu told Bloomberg News in a text message. That’s down from a Jan. 22 forecast of 3% to 5%, before the epidemic spread around the globe, and lags the 5.4% average of analysts' projections.
Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant won't resume production until February 10 following an extended Lunar New Year break, and the company now says that workers returning from outside Henan province will be sequestered for 14 days, while staff who reside within the province will be isolated for one week.
The manufacturer previously claimed the viral outbreak had had a "fairly small impact" on iPhone production, suggesting its factories in other countries like Vietnam, India, and Mexico had been able to fill the gap.
Apple last week closed all of its corporate offices, stores, and contact centers in mainland China through February 9 due to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Apple has around 10,000 direct employees in China, across its retail and corporate divisions.
Close to 60 million people remain under lockdown in China. With the virus death toll rising in recent days, the goal of people returning to work on February 10 is looking increasingly less certain. As a result, the contagion is expected to disrupt Apple's Chinese iPhone supply chain as well as dampen consumer demand and overall economic growth.
The outbreak has killed 492 people worldwide, the majority of which are in China, and infected more than 24,500 people across 25 countries.
Apple last night unwittingly confirmed the existence of Samsung's upcoming next-generation Galaxy Buds+, which are set to compete directly with Apple's own AirPods Pro wireless earphones.
Confirmation came via an App Store preview of the wireless earphones' iOS app, first spotted by CNET, indicating that the Galaxy Buds+ will be officially compatible with iPhone 7 and newer devices running iOS 10 or higher.
Other than that, the app description reveals little else about Samsung's new earbuds. However, serial gadget leaker Evan Blass has subsequently shared an official-looking spec sheet of the upcoming Galaxy Buds+ compared to the current Galaxy Buds.
According to the spec sheet, the Galaxy Buds+ will have almost double the battery life of their predecessor, with 11 hours for the buds themselves plus an additional 11 hours from the charging case, compared with six hours for the standard Galaxy Buds and 7 hours for its charging case.
Unlike Apple's AirPods Pro, the Galaxy Buds+ don't have active noise cancellation, but the design remains the same as the current Galaxy Buds, so there is some passive sound isolation. Otherwise, the new earbuds have upgraded speakers and an additional microphone, so expect improved audio.
The Galaxy Buds+ will cost $149, up from $129, and will be available in black, white, red, and blue colors. Speculation suggests that Samsung may also include the earbuds in the box with the upcoming Galaxy S20, but this hasn't been confirmed.
After CNET highlighted the existence of Apple's App Store preview, a Samsung spokesperson told the website that the company is "excited to introduce Galaxy Buds+ soon." Samsung noted that its app "will allow iOS users to enjoy an optimized sound experience, on the go."
Samsung will hold its Unpacked event on February 11 in San Francisco, where it's expected to introduce its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S20, along with a new folding phone called the Galaxy Z Flip.
Apple has reportedly been experiencing "much higher" than expected demand for its $249 AirPods Pro, and the company is said to have ask its supplier Luxshare Precision to double production of the high-end earphones to two million units per month.
Together with the Apple Watch, the AirPods and AirPods Pro have been a driving force behind growth in Apple's wearables category, which recently set new fourth quarter revenue records worldwide.
Apple was the fastest growing premium smartphone brand in India last year with 41 percent annual growth, according to new data gathered by Counterpoint Research.
Premium smartphone shipments in the country reached a record high in 2019, increasing by 29 percent year over year. The growth is said to have been driven by affordable premium smartphones, aggressive offers like significant price cuts, and user upgrades.
In Apple's case, growth in the fourth quarter was driven by multiple price cuts on iPhone XR throughout the year. The iPhone XR was the number one ultra-premium smartphone model in India followed by Samsung's Galaxy S10 Plus and China's OnePlus 7 Pro, according to the report.
Apple also oversaw the fastest rollout of its flagship devices in India, with the iPhone 11 series introduced at a lower price point than the previous year's iPhone XR launch. This reportedly helped to gain share during the festive season and in its launch quarter in India.
"We expect the strongest 2020 for Apple in India as it has expanded its production capacity in India and is now manufacturing iPhones on a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) basis. These activities will help the brand to offer competitive pricing in a price-sensitive market like India," Counterpoint said.
OnePlus remained the number one premium brand for the full calendar year, with shipments growing 28 percent year over year and the brand capturing one third of India's premium mobile market. The Chinese brand also became the first ever premium smartphone brand to cross two million shipments in a year in 2019.
Meanwhile, Samsung dropped to second position and declined 2 percentage points year over year in the premium segment. The Galaxy S10 Plus was the top-selling flagship for Samsung in 2019. As a result, Samsung's ultra-premium segment shipments grew by 24 percent year over year.
After a strong year in India, Apple is now pursuing its aim of opening an online Apple Store in the country to start official online sales of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more starting in the third quarter of 2020.
In August 2019, India eased the rules that had kept Apple from offering its products in first-party stores and an online Apple Store. Apple is now said to be working on opening up retail locations in India, with a store in Mumbai in the works.
Apple's head of business for Apple News+, Liz Schimel, has departed the company less than a year after the $9.99 per month service launched, reports Bloomberg.
Schimel was responsible for relationships with advertisers and news partners for Apple News+, and before that, she served as the president of international business at Conde Nast.
Apple is said to be looking to hire a "notable name" in the publishing world to take Schimel's place. Schimel's replacement, like Schimel, will report to Peter Stern, who oversees Apple's services under Eddy Cue.
Apple News+ provides access to hundreds of magazines along with subscription news from The Wall Street Journal and The Los Angeles Times, but it has failed to catch on with consumers, perhaps due to the lack of access to publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post, which have refused to sign deals with Apple.
Apple has not provided information on how many Apple News+ subscribers it has, but a report in November suggested Apple was struggling to entice people to pay for the service. That report indicated Apple News+ got 200,000 sign ups within 48 hours, but that the numbers have not increased much since then.
While Apple News+ was promoted at its launch, Apple has not been highlighting the service as of late, with Apple TV+ instead taking the spotlight. To boost Apple News+ subscriber numbers, Apple is said to be considering bundling the Apple News+ service with Apple TV+ and Apple Music, but it's not clear when such a bundle might launch.
In the first three months following its launch, Disney+ has accumulated 28.6 million subscribers, Disney CEO Bob Iger said today during Disney's Q1 earnings call.
According to Iger, Disney+ has "exceeded" the company's "greatest expectations." As The Verge points out, Disney+ has surpassed the number of HBO Now subscribers and is gaining on Netflix's U.S subscriber count, which is at 61 million as of January 2020.
There's no direct comparison to Apple TV+ given the fact that Apple hasn't released subscriber numbers and has a large number of non-paying customers as the company has been providing everyone who has purchased an Apple device since September with a free year of Apple TV+ service.
Disney+ ran promotions for discounted service for multiple years, marking the service down to the equivalent of $3.99, and has provided free Disney+ access to Verizon subscribers. Outside of free trial members and Verizon users, customers with access to Disney+ are paying for it, unlike most Apple TV+ subscribers at this time.
Extrapolating from Apple's Q1 earnings report, Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi recently suggested that Apple TV+ has a low adoption rate, even among those who can get it for free. He speculated that this could be due to disinterest from consumers given the limited amount of content on Apple TV+ or Apple's failure to promote it.
It's not clear if Sacconaghi's estimates are correct, as figures from Ampere Analysis shared by The Wall Street Journal indicated Apple could have as many as 33.6 million subscribers, though most of those have free access.
Disney+ has a major edge over Apple TV+ because Disney+ has an established catalog of content along with many popular Star Wars and Marvel franchises. "The Mandalorian," the key show Disney+ premiered with, received more attention than any of Apple TV+'s launch shows, including "The Morning Show," "Dickinson," "See," and "For All Mankind."
Apple TV+ may be able to catch up to Disney+ at some point in the future because Apple does have a huge subscriber base to appeal to given the number of iPhones and other Apple devices in the wild, but it will be years before Apple is able to match Disney's content offerings.
"Verified," a video service from Genius, is available on Apple Music as of today, reports The Verge. "Verified" features artists like Billie Eilish and Cardi B explaining the meaning behind the lyrics of their songs.
Under the terms of the deal, Apple Music will co-produce "Verified," and episodes will premiere on Apple Music. After a set period of time, new content will also be available on the Genius website and YouTube.
Since "Verified" debuted in 2016, Genius has created more than 800 episodes. At this time, there are no plans to bring older episodes of "Verified" to the Apple Music platform.
There are two new "Verified" episodes that are available via Apple Music. The first features Alec Benjamin's "Mind is A Prison" and the second features Yung Baby Tate's "CAMP."
Apple Music and Genius have partnered up before. Genius provides lyrics for Apple Music, and Apple Music is the official music player on the Genius.com website.
Apple's Pro Display XDR, priced at $4,999 without a stand, is designed for professionals who need a reference monitor. It may seem expensive, but comparative to other reference monitors, it's an affordable choice.
PCMag this week published its full review of the Pro Display XDR, doing a deep dive into its color accuracy and HDR capabilities.
The Pro Display XDR is meant to be used by creative professionals such as photographers and videographers, which means factors like color accuracy, gamut coverage, and sustained brightness are important.
In Adobe RGB color gamut testing, relevant for content creation tasks, the Pro Display XDR had what PCMag says is an "excellent" result of 96.7 percent coverage. Comparatively, the Pro Display XDR beat out the Acer Predator X35, the ASUS Rog Strix XG438Q, the Dell U3219Q 4K, and the Razer Raptor 27, which are other displays PCMag has tested, but that's not a surprising result as these comparison displays are more affordable gaming-focused monitors.
The Pro Display XDR didn't fare quite as well in sRGB gamut testing, where monitors normally get close to 100 percent coverage, but it still hit a respectable 94.3 coverage. sRGB is not a focus of the pro community, which makes this result fairly inconsequential.
In a DCI-P3 color gamut test, which highlights how well a monitor is able to display movie and tv content in editing apps, the Pro Display XDR saw 98.7 percent coverage, beating out all other monitors including the Alienware 55, which scored the second-highest in PCMag's testing at 96.5 percent.
When it comes to brightness testing, with a DisplayHDR 1600 test, the XDR was able to display content at a peak burst of 1,561 nits, just under Apple's 1,600-nit rating. SDR brightness reached 499 nits, and the black levels were super low, at 0.04. PCMag says that's the lowest it has seen outside of OLED displays.
In color accuracy tests, the Pro Display XDR also excelled. Color accuracy is measured using delta E (dE) and a lower number is better, representing an accurate representation of the color it's aiming to produce. Monitors under 1.0 are "top tier" monitors, but the Pro Display XDR scored below that.
More records broken. In the industry of content creation, any monitor that scores below a 1.0 dE is considered top-tier, but the Pro Display XDR isn't content with just winning here, it has to command the lead. In these tests, which I ran through all three color-space presets we tested above (sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3), the lowest score achieved was just 0.68 dE--and that, achieved with no calibration required.
There were some downsides to the Pro Display XDR. There's no option for changing color capabilities on the monitor itself, and using it requires macOS, so there's no way to use it without a Mac. There's also no way to calibrate the colors, but Apple says that calibration options are coming sometime in the future.
The site was impressed with the add-on $999 stand for the Mac Pro given its nice, shiny look and its smooth counter-balanced arm, but ultimately felt that it was a bit over-engineered and overpriced, saying that it "didn't need to be" so far ahead of a typical (and much less expensive) monitor stand.
In a nutshell, PCMag believes that the Pro Display XDR successfully does what it was meant to do, offer up "reference-quality production capabilities" to those who work on Macs. "The Pro Display XDR is a beautifully made, well-designed, hyper-accurate content creation monitor that--say it with me now--'just works,'" reads the review.
For those considering a purchase of the Pro Display XDR, PCMag's full review is well worth checking out.
Every year in February, Apple hosts a company wide fitness challenge for all of its employees at its corporate and retail offices around the world.
Employees are tasked with closing all three of their Apple Watch Activity rings every day during the month, and those that are successful earn a reward.
Apple's 2020 challenge, which is in February because February is Heart Month, has been delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak in China and Apple's subsequent store closures. At this time, Apple has closed all stores, corporate offices, and contact centers in China in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus that has now been declared a global health emergency.
Apple earlier this week sent out the following email to employees, letting them know about the delay:
The Close Your Rings Challenge is one of those rare opportunities to bring team members and colleagues from around the world together with a common purpose to close our rings, earn some points, and have fun. With a number of our offices and stores closed in China right now and some of our team members unable to participate, we've decided to postpone the 2020 Close Your Rings Challenge. At this time, our Challenge will be removed from the Challenges app.
We'll update everyone as soon as we have a new date when we can all focus together in closing our rings!
Apple's retail and corporate locations in China are set to reopen on February 9, so the challenge could be reinstated sometime around then, though Apple may choose to wait even longer as it's unlikely concerns about the virus will have abated by then.
The 2020 challenge will reward employees who complete it with a t-shirt that says "2020" in an Apple Watch Activity Ring-style font.
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