MacRumors

Screenshots said to be sourced from a test model of the upcoming 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max suggest the flagship device could feature a 120Hz display and a LiDAR Scanner.

Shared by leaker Jon Prosser, the screenshots are said to be from a PVT (production validation test) model of the 6.7-inch iPhone. The settings have a toggle to enable "LiDAR" for "assisted auto focus and subject detection for Video and Night Mode."

There's also an option to "Enable High Refresh Rate" and "Enable Adaptive Refresh Rate," a setting that says "the device will alter the refresh rate from 120Hz to 60Hz in accordance to the content displayed on-screen."

There have been mixed rumors on whether some ‌iPhone‌ 12 models will feature 120Hz ProMotion display technology, and display analyst Ross Young earlier this week said that Apple is facing supply chain issues with 120Hz display driver ICs for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, and so Apple may opt to ship with 60Hz displays or delay the launch of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro models.

Prosser claims that some of the 6.7-inch PVT ‌iPhone‌ models are equipped with 120Hz displays and some are not, and the alleged settings screenshots do mention the existence of both.

Rumors have long suggested the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro models will feature a LiDAR Scanner like the LiDAR scanner added to the 2020 iPad Pro models, and this is a feature that is likely to be limited to the higher-end iPhones this year. Both LiDAR tech and 120Hz displays, if implemented, will be high-end features.

These screenshots from Prosser should be viewed with some skepticism. There is some questionable wording in the screenshots, with unusual spelling, capitalization, and wording that Apple does not use. One screenshot uses the UK spelling "behaviour," for example, and Hz is not properly capitalized. "Zoom Capabilities" is misspelled in another of the screenshots, and it references "Slow Mo," when Apple calls it "Slo Mo."

Prosser explains this away by suggesting the wording here is "written for people testing the units," which can't be confirmed. It's not clear if the screenshots or real or have been faked, which would not be difficult to do, but Prosser says that he plans to share a video of the PVT ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro with these settings in the near future.

In the past, Prosser has been fooled by the people who provide him with content to share. In June, for example, he shared images that he claimed were of a wireless charger Apple was still working on, but it later turned out those images were of a clone device not designed by Apple at all. He has, however, shared accurate information on Apple's launch plans in the past.

Update: EverythingApplePro has also shared the same screenshots on an alleged ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ test device. Curiously, these screenshots show an "AM" next to the time, which is allegedly visible due to the extra display space on either side of the device.

EverythingApplePro claims that the 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ has a resolution of 2788 x 1284 resolution with 458 pixels per inch and that a power adapter won't be sold alongside the ‌iPhone‌, which has been previously rumored.

Update 2: Prosser has now shared a video that features the camera settings screenshots and allegedly depicts the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌. The notch depicted in the video shared by Prosser appears to be the same size as the current notch, suggesting no reduction in size if the device in the video is truly an ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ and not a fake.

Apple today seeded the sixth betas of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 to developers for testing purposes, updating and refining some of the features that are included in the software.

As the beta testing period goes on, changes get much smaller and less notable. The sixth beta has some minor tweaks and feature additions, but there are no real major changes in the update. We've listed all of what's new in the sixth beta of iOS 14 below.

- Time Picker Design - The time picker interface, available in the Clock app when setting an alarm and other places in iOS, has seen a slight design tweak that adds an orange box around the time to make it more obvious that it can be interacted with to change the time.

- Spatial Audio - Spatial Audio, the feature that brings surround sound to the AirPods Pro, isn't implemented as of yet, but Apple appears to be gearing up to add the feature to iOS 14 and the AirPods Pro. In today's beta, there's a new Spatial Audio toggle available in the Accessibility section of the Settings app. Choose AirPods and then at the bottom of the screen, there's a "Follow iPhone" toggle. Follow ‌iPhone‌ makes audio for supported movies and TV shows sound like it's coming from the phone instead of following head movement. There's also new code and internal messaging related to the spatial audio feature. Though this toggle is available, Spatial Audio is not yet functional.

- Maps Splash Screen - There's a new splash screen for the Maps app that lets you know about new features that include cycling directions, curated guides, and support for speed cameras.

Know of any other changes in ‌iOS 14‌ beta 6 that we didn't list here? Let us know in the comments and we'll add them.

Apple today seeded the sixth betas of upcoming iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 updates to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fifth betas and over two months after unveiling the new software at the WWDC keynote.

Registered developers can download the betas over the air after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.

iOS 14 introduces a redesigned Home Screen that supports widgets on iPhone for the first time, plus widgets have been redesigned and can now be customized in three sizes through the new widgets gallery.

An App Library shows all of the apps installed on an ‌iPhone‌ in one place, both in an icon view and in an alphabetical list. With all of the apps in the App Library, app icons and ‌Home Screen‌ pages can be hidden for a cleaner look.

Incoming phone calls and FaceTime calls no longer take up the entire ‌iPhone‌/iPad display, and Siri requests have also been minimized so summoning ‌Siri‌ doesn't monopolize the screen. ‌Siri‌ is smarter in iOS 14 and can send audio messages, and dictation can now run on device. A Picture in Picture mode allows users to watch videos or use ‌FaceTime‌ while using other apps.

App Clips lets users take advantage of some app features without needing to download a full app, useful for quick actions like purchasing a coffee, making a restaurant reservation, or renting a scooter, where downloading an entire app would be a hassle. App Clips can be scanned from QR codes, NFC tags, or Apple-designed App Clip Codes, plus they can be shared in Messages or accessed from Safari.

In the Messages app you can now pin important conversations, use @mentions in group chats, and take advantage of inline replies to keep multi-person conversations better organized. There are new Memoji options and group chats can be assigned icons with photos, emoji, or Memoji.

The Health app supports the Apple Watch's new Sleep Tracking feature and there's a Health Checklist for managing health settings, and in the Weather app, there's more info on precipitation and severe weather events.

Cycling directions are available in the Maps app with directions incorporating elevation, how busy a street is, and stairs, plus for those who own electric vehicles, there are options for routes with EV charging stops.

Digital Car Keys let an ‌iPhone‌ be used in lieu of a physical key, a feature that's coming soon to BMWs, and CarPlay now lets users set wallpapers.

A new translate app provides text and voice translations to and from 11 languages, and there are tons of new privacy protections. Developers need to get user permission before accessing devices on a local network, limiting access to photos, and providing apps with approximate locations instead of exact locations.

Safari has a Privacy Report that lets you know which websites have trackers, and there are new icons on the Home screen that let you know when an app is using a camera or microphone. Third-party browser and mail apps can be set as default for the first time, and Apple added new AirPods capabilities.

As for the ‌iPad‌, the Apple Pencil can now be used in any text field, with handwritten text converted automatically to typed text thanks to the new Scribble feature.

There are tons more features in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, so make sure to check out our iOS 14 roundup and our iPadOS 14 roundup for a full list of everything new. We also highlight all of the new feature tweaks and changes introduced with each beta iteration, and you can see the changes from beta 2, beta 3, and beta 4 in our beta 2, beta 3, beta 4, and beta 5 tidbits articles.

Beta 3 brought a new red Music icon, changes to the design of the Music Library in the Music app, a Clock widget, an updated Screen Time widget, while beta 4 added an Apple TV widget and improvements to search. Beta 5 introduced a larger Apple News widget option, a scrolling clock wheel for apps like Alarm Clock, an option to turn on Exposure Notifications, and a feature to better hide photo albums.

iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 are available to registered developers and public beta testers at this time. Beta testing for ‌iOS 14‌ will last for a couple of months, with the update set to be released in the fall alongside new iPhones.

Update: Apple has also released new iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 betas for public beta testers.

Apple is preparing to terminate Epic Games' developer account on August 28, and is not planning to approve updates for the Fortnite game amid the ongoing legal battle between the two companies. This is inconvenient for ‌Epic Games‌ because a new Fortnite season is starting on August 27, and iOS users will not be able to participate.

‌Epic Games‌ attempted to get a temporary restraining order from a Northern California court to prevent Apple from blocking Fortnite's updates and terminating the developer account, but after a hearing yesterday, a judge ruled in favor of Apple when it comes to Fortnite. In a statement shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple applauded the judge's decision and said that it's ready to welcome Fortnite back if ‌Epic Games‌ decides to remove the direct payment option and return to the status quo.

We thank the court for recognizing that Epic's problem is entirely self-inflicted and is in their power to resolve. Our very first priority is making sure App Store users have a great experience in a safe and trusted environment, including iPhone users who play Fortnite and who are looking forward to the game's next season.

We agree with Judge Gonzalez-Rogers that 'the sensible way to proceed' is for Epic to comply with the App Store guidelines and continue to operate while the case proceeds. If Epic takes the steps the judge has recommended, we will gladly welcome Fortnite back onto iOS. We look forward to making our case to the court in September.

Though the judge is allowing Apple to terminate the ‌Epic Games‌ developer account on August 28, she did block Apple from also terminating accounts and access related to the development of the Unreal Engine. Apple may not remove accounts held under Epic International, as it is a separate entity from ‌Epic Games‌ and has a separate developer contract with Apple.

Apple during the hearing argued that it is typical for a developer who violates the rules to have all related and linked accounts terminated as well as their main account, but that did not sway the judge from her decision.

As for Fortnite, the judge made it clear that ‌Epic Games‌ created the current situation and can reverse what has been done by "taking it back to the status quo" and letting the rest of the dispute play out in court.

Epic's lawyer during the hearing claimed that ‌Epic Games‌ couldn't "go back into an anticompetitive contract," but now that it's been made clear that there will be no restraining order granted to prevent Apple continuing to block Fortnite, Epic may choose to obey the App Store rules, remove the direct payment option that began the whole snafu, and continue the disagreement through legal means that don't directly impact customers.

Apple today announced that it is updating its video editing software Final Cut Pro X to version 10.4.9 with several new features designed to enhance remote workflows and speed up editing for social media content creators.

With more people working from home, Final Cut Pro X has received improvements to proxy workflows that make libraries more portable and streamline remote work with large, high-resolution files, according to Apple. Users can also now create proxies in either ProRes Proxy or H.264 in dimensions as small as 12.5 percent of the original.

New social media tools automate video cropping in square, vertical, and other custom sizes for popular social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. A new "Transform Overscan" feature reveals media outside the crop boundary when adjusting scale, rotation, and position, which allows storytellers to easily reposition the crop.

Final Cut Pro 10.4.9 will be available today as a free update for existing users, and remains $299.99 for new users on the Mac App Store.

Final Cut Pro's companion apps Motion and Compressor are also being updated today.

In the new version of Motion, Apple says creators can import third-party 3D models or choose from a built-in library of 3D models in the USDZ format for use in titles, generators, effects, and transitions. Motion is also receiving a new Stroke Filter, a tool that automatically outlines an object or text element using its alpha channel.

Compressor is gaining support for custom LUT effects, the ability to use Camera LUTs to convert log-encoded footage to SDR or HDR outputs, and other workflow enhancements.

Apple's free iMovie app for Mac also received a minor update today:

• Add a hand drawn look to your movies with 5 new filters: Comic, Comic Mono, Comic Vintage, Comic Sepia and Ink
• Import iMovie for iOS projects with support for Comic, Comic Mono and Ink filters
• Improves overall stability

Final Cut Pro 10.4.9 release notes:

Improved proxy workflows
• Generate proxy media in custom frame sizes of 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, or full resolution
• Choose to create proxy media in either ProRes Proxy or H.264
• Choose to display original or optimized media if proxy media is not available for some clips in your project
• Create a proxy-only copy of a library to reduce size for portability or performance
Social media tools
• Automatically transform projects for square or vertical delivery with Smart Conform
• Display media outside the Viewer boundary when adjusting scale, rotation, and position using Transform Overscan
• Add a Custom Overlay as an on-screen guide when placing text and graphics within a square or vertical frame
• Use the new Duplicate Project As command in combination with Smart Conform to quickly create a social media version of your existing project
Other new features
• Adjust ProRes RAW camera settings such as ISO, color temperature, and exposure offset using new controls in the inspector
• Crossfade audio on adjacent clips in one step using a menu command or keyboard shortcut
• Use Close Project command in a new drop-down menu above the timeline to clear project history
• Sort clips and projects by last modified date in list view
• Preview 360-degree stereoscopic 3D video in simultaneous left and right eye views with the 360° Viewer
• Easily stabilize 360-degree video with one-click tools in the inspector

Fitbit today introduced the Sense, its most advanced health smartwatch ever.

Following in the footsteps of the Apple Watch, the Sense is the first Fitbit with an ECG app that can detect an irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation. To receive a reading, users must hold their fingers on the corners of the stainless steel ring around the watch while holding still for 30 seconds. FDA clearance of the feature is still pending.

Going a step further, the Sense offers several health features that the Apple Watch does not yet have, including an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor for stress management, a skin temperature sensor, and blood oxygen monitoring. (Apple Watch Series 6 models are rumored to support blood oxygen monitoring later this year.)

Fitbit shared details on how the new EDA sensor works:

Using the EDA Scan app, place your palm over the face of the device to detect small electrical changes in the sweat level of your skin. Measuring your EDA responses can help you understand your body's response to stressors and help you manage your stress. You can do a quick EDA Scan session on device to see your responses, or pair it with guided mindfulness sessions in the Fitbit app to see how your body responds during meditation or relaxation. At the end of your session, you will see an EDA response graph on-device and in the mobile app to gauge your progress over time and reflect on how you feel emotionally.

Based on its ongoing research study, Fitbit says the Sense can also track three metrics that could help with earlier detection of COVID-19, including average breathing rate, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability.

"Over 100,000 Fitbit users joined the study so far, and we've found that our algorithm can detect nearly 50 percent of COVID-19 cases a day before the onset of symptoms with 70 percent specificity," said Fitbit's co-founder and CTO Eric Friedman. "This research shows great promise to help us understand and detect COVID-19, but can also serve as a model for detecting other diseases and health conditions in the future."

Fitbit is making the Sense available today for pre-order for $329.95 on its website and online at select retailers, with broad worldwide availability to follow in late September. Some health features require a Fitbit Premium subscription for $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year, with a free six-month trial included with the Sense.

Apple chipmaker TSMC has set out the potential performance and power efficiency of the upcoming iPhone 12's A14 chip, according to a report by AnandTech.

The ‌iPhone‌ 12 is expected to contain an A14 chip, based on TSMC's smaller 5nm manufacturing process. The ‌iPhone‌ 11's A13 chip used a 7nm process by comparison.

Manufacturing chips using this smaller process offers a number of advantages, including a reduction in power consumption of up to 30 percent, and up to 15 percent increased performance. This indicates what kind of improvements may come to the A14 chip in the ‌iPhone‌ 12.

There is a tradeoff when selecting one or the other, but Apple tends to prioritize performance improvements over power consumption. When reducing the size of the manufacturing process for a new generation of chips, power consumption and performance improvements are slightly lower.

Last year, TSMC announced a $25 billion investment in the new 5nm node technology in a bid to remain the exclusive supplier of Apple's processors. TSMC has reportedly been in mass production of chips using the 5nm process for several months now, and the process is also expected to be used for Apple Silicon chips coming to the Mac before the end of this year.

In addition to the 5nm process for 2020, TSMC outlined its plans for a 3nm process coming in late 2022. This would likely be used for a potential A16 chip and other future ‌Apple Silicon‌ if the company follows previous years, but it is understandably difficult to speculate on Apple's manufacturing plans so far ahead. The ‌3nm‌ process yields similar 30 percent and 15 percent power consumption and performance improvements over the 5nm process.

It is worth noting that regardless of the performance of TSMC's chips, Apple usually optimizes its software for further performance improvements. It is also possible that Apple could significantly prioritize power consumption over performance for improved battery life. These decisions belong to Apple regardless of TSMC's manufacturing process, making the exact behavior of the A14 chip somewhat uncertain until official announcement.

Eufy, Anker's home security brand, today announced the Smart Drop, a new smart outdoor mailbox that's equipped with a built-in camera and advanced facial recognition capabilities to make package deliveries more secure.

Made from carbon steel, the Smart Drop is a package dropbox that sits outside the home and provides a secure location for delivery people to place packages so they won't be stolen from the doorstep.

There's an included 1080p camera with a 160 degree field of view that also has night vision for around the clock surveillance. Face and motion detection let you know when deliveries arrive, and there are multiple ways to open the dropbox, including a PIN and remote opening with the Eufy app.

The camera is weatherproof with an IP65 water and dust resistance rating, and there's an inner drainage system. Video footage can be stored locally or in the cloud, and the Smart Drop can be fixed to the floor or the wall.

Eufy has no plans to add HomeKit support to the first generation of the Smart Drop, unfortunately, but it does work with both Alexa and Google Assistant. A removable battery pack provides three months of battery life before needing to be recharged, and there's no need to plug in the Smart Drop.

To help delivery and mail couriers use the box, there are voice and light prompts along with an instruction sticker. The Smart Drop measures in at 25.6 inches high, 17.7 inches long, and 15 inches wide with a 68L total capacity.

Eufy is offering the Smart Drop on Kickstarter, with pricing starting at $149 for the basic SmartDrop and $199 for the SmartDrop Pro that includes a eufy Security HomeBase 2 for local storage, Alexa/Google Assistant support, and rich notifications. Eufy plans to begin delivering the Smart Drop next year, with shipments set to begin in June 2021.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with eufy on Kickstarter. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

MacBook sales in the third quarter have increased by a fifth compared to the same period last year, and Taiwan-based diode makers are seeing "robust demand" for MacBook parts as the trend for remote working continues to grow, according to a new report by DigiTimes.

Recent sales of its MacBook devices, including MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineups, have increased over 20% from a year earlier, with shipments of related products to Japan and Asia Pacific hitting record highs, said the sources, citing data from Apple.

The report largely mirrors Apple's earnings results for the third fiscal quarter of 2020, in which Mac sales saw a surge in growth as people transitioned from working in offices to working from home. Mac sales saw double digit growth during the quarter, bringing in $7 billion, up from $5.8 billion in the year-ago quarter. Apple released an updated MacBook Air in March and an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro in May.

The report also notes that the growth rate will allow Taiwan's diode makers to maintain their shipment momentum in the third quarter of 2020, which should see them through until production of Apple's next-generation iPhones gets into full swing.

Notably, the same sources noted that diode makers have yet to ramp up related shipments for the next-generation iPhone devices "which are expected to be released soon," and are still shipping diode products for older-generation iPhones.

That fits in with Apple's own admission in its July earnings call that the 2020 ‌iPhone‌ 12 models are going to be released later than usual. Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that the 2020 iPhones will be available a "few weeks later" then the 2019 iPhones, which became available in late September. That statement suggests that we can expect the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup to be released in October 2020, perhaps towards the middle of the month.

We're expecting four OLED iPhones in three display sizes which could come in at 5.4, 6.7, and 6.1 inches (x2). Rumors suggest the 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ and one 6.1-inch model will be higher-end devices with triple-lens cameras, while the 5.4 and 6.1-inch models will be lower-end iPhones with dual-lens cameras and a more affordable price tag.

Apple is preparing to open its first online store in India next month, according to a new report today from Bloomberg.

Apple Inc. is poised to open an online store for the first time in the fast-growing smartphone market of India next month, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, taking advantage of a relaxation of once-strict prohibitions against foreign direct retail.

The online store will be ready for operations just ahead of the festive Dussehra-Diwali spending season, according to the person, who asked not to be named discussing confidential plans.

Sales of Apple products have long been limited to third-party resellers in India, because of restrictions on foreign companies that require them to source 30 percent of production locally.

In August 2019, India eased these rules keeping Apple from offering its products in first-party stores and an online Apple Store. Apple had originally intended to start online sales within months of the rule change, but the global health crisis reportedly scuppered those plans.

TechCrunch first reported in January that Apple would open an online ‌Apple Store‌ in India to start official direct sales of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and more in the country starting in the third quarter of 2020.

With the rules changed, Apple is also set to begin opening up retail stores in India in the future and already has retail locations in the works. A new store in Mumbai is in development and is set to open next year. Meanwhile, Bloomberg says that Apple has already scouted a location for its second India store, located in Bangalore near Minsk Square.

Even prior to the rule change, Apple was working with the Indian government to get permission to open up stores in India. Over the course of the last few years, Apple started manufacturing some lower-cost ‌iPhone‌ models in India to meet local investment requirements, and has recently started assembling the ‌iPhone‌ SE and the ‌iPhone‌ 11 in the country through manufacturing partners Wistron and Foxconn, respectively.

Apple devices have had low penetration among India's 1.3 billion population due to high costs from import tariffs, making them limited to buyers the high-end premium market. The rule changes will make Apple devices more affordable to Indian consumers and should therefore see Apple grow its footprint in the country.

Future 5G iPhone models could feature larger capacity batteries or more compact battery modules than those found in existing handsets, thanks to Apple's adoption of key integrative technologies first seen in the company's AirPods Pro wireless headphones.

DigiTimes today reports that Apple is looking to move towards the combined use of system-in-package (SiP) and flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) in forthcoming ‌5G iPhone‌ handset battery modules, replacing the existing rigid-flex PCB solution it has relied on for years.

Apple has incorporated the SiP+FPCB solution into its new AirPods series, and may apply the solution to battery modules for 5G iPhones partly because SiP can integrate multiple functions and allow more space for more components, the sources said, adding that SiP+FPCB can now rival well the rigid-flex board solution in terms of price-performance ratios due to successful cost control by Apple.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has long predicted that Apple will become increasingly capable of designing new systems for larger capacity batteries as it packs more features into handsets that consume more power. These features obviously increase Apple's costs, so for the "iPhone 12s" lineup in 2021, the company has been looking to adopt cost-cutting hybrid battery boards that can be either smaller without compromising on battery life, or the same size but with higher capacitance. A combination of SiP+FPCB is another potential solution that Apple is reportedly pursuing.

Kuo has previously said that Apple plans to launch new entry-level ‌AirPods‌ with a form factor design similar to ‌AirPods Pro‌ in the first half of 2021. Introduced in 2019, ‌AirPods Pro‌ feature a different in-ear design to ‌AirPods‌, with shorter stems below the ear.

The third-generation ‌AirPods‌ are expected to adopt the more compact SiP technology that's similar to the internals of the ‌AirPods Pro‌, which will allow the audio features of the ‌AirPods‌ to be integrated into a casing more similar in design to the ‌AirPods Pro‌.

Sources who spoke to DigiTimes said that current suppliers of rigid-flex boards for ‌iPhone‌ battery modules could be significantly impacted if Apple decides to incorporate a similar SiP+FPCB solution for new iPhones in 2021.

Apple Pay support came to Sparkasse's Giro card in Germany today. First spotted by iphone-ticker.de, the debit card, known as the "Sparkassen-Card," can now be stored in Apple's digital Wallet app, just like the bank's credit cards. This means that savings account customers can use the "most popular card in Germany" with ‌Apple Pay‌.

‌Apple Pay‌ support for a straightforward bank debit card is a first for Germany. The Sparkassen-Karte Basis debit card is has been compatible with ‌Apple Pay‌ since December 2019, but users have to load a balance from their bank account onto that card before they can use it to pay bills or go shopping. With the Sparkasse giro card, users can simply pay for things and the money is taken directly from their bank account.

‌Apple Pay‌‌ made its long-awaited debut in Germany back in December 2018 with multiple partners immediately jumping on board, but support from Sparkasse and Commerzebank was conspicuously absent on rollout day. It wasn't until December 2019 that ‌Apple Pay‌ users could add their Visa and Mastercard credit cards to the Wallet app.

‌‌Apple Pay‌‌ first launched in the United States in October 2014. Apple's mobile payment system allows users to make contactless payments for goods and services in retail stores using their iPhone or Apple Watch. You can view the full list of ‌‌Apple Pay‌‌ countries and regions on Apple's website.

Apple last week sent a letter to Epic Games letting the company know that if it does not comply with the App Store rules and remove direct payment options from Fortnite, that all of Epic's developer accounts and access to Apple development tools will be terminated on August 28.

That would impact Fortnite, other Epic Games, and the Unreal Engine used by third-party developers. Epic in response asked a Northern California court to stop Apple from ending Epic's ‌App Store‌ access with a temporary restraining order (TRO), and there was a court hearing on the matter today.

Right when the hearing kicked off, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is overseeing the case, said that she was inclined to not grant relief with respect to games (including Fortnite), but that she was inclined to grant relief with respect to the Unreal Engine used by third-party developers. Rogers said that Epic created the current situation with Fortnite and could undo it by reverting to the status quo, so if her initial opinion is any indication of the outcome, we could see a restraining order that blocks Apple from restricting access to the Unreal Engine, but permits Apple to terminate the ‌Epic Games‌ developer account.

Your client created the situation. Your client doesn't come to this court with clean hands. Epic made a strategically and calculated move to breach, and decided to breach right before a new season. So in my view, you cannot have irreparable harm when you create a harm yourself.

All Epic has to do is take it back to the status quo and no one suffers any harm. And you can have a trial date in the spring. Flip the switch to the way it was August 3rd and return everybody back to where they were.

Lawyers for Epic and Apple were both able to argue their positions, and given the initial inclinations of the judge, Epic largely focused on arguing why its games should be able to remain in the ‌App Store‌ without changes, while Apple focused on reasons why it should be able to block the Unreal Engine.

Epic's lawyer's argued that asking Epic to capitulate and go back to the status quo is akin to "asking us to require consumers to pay more than they should in a competitive environment" and that it had antitrust implications. "We can't go back into an anticompetitive contract," said Epic's lawyer. Epic also argued about the social aspects of the game, suggesting it was more than a mere game and a vital way to communicate during the pandemic.

Apple's lawyer argued that if Fortnite and other games are blocked from the ‌App Store‌ but development of the Unreal Engine is allowed to continue, Epic could just transfer its bad behavior to other entities. Apple also focused on potential harm to users and the need to enforce contracts, claiming that Epic broke Apple's ‌App Store‌ model, profited by it, and "placed customers in the middle." The judge said that it sounded like Apple was overreaching because Apple has separate contracts with ‌Epic Games‌ and Epic International for the Unreal Engine and one should not impact the other.

The contract with Epic International has not been breached. Apple reached beyond its one contract with Epic Games and is using its hard leverage. It's slammed Epic Games with this additional penalty. It does to me look retaliatory. I don't see any harm to Apple to restrain you from not impacting the Unreal Engine on that platform or the developer's engine. It looks like overreach to me.

Epic argued that the Unreal Engine would be "destroyed" if it's blocked on Apple's platforms because developers use it for cross platform development. Epic's lawyers said that Epic has already heard from developers who are abandoning the Unreal Engine due to Apple's threat. Apple's lawyer in turn said that everything would be resolved if Epic falls in line with the ‌App Store‌ rules and eliminates the direct payment option in Fortnite.

Toward the end of the meeting, the judge said that the battle isn't going to be won or lost with a temporary restraining order, as there is a long legal fight to come, and it's not a "slam dunk" for either company.

There's some measure of a lack of competition and high barriers to market entry. That said, there appears to be evidence that everyone that uses these kind of platforms to sell games is charging 30%. Whether Epic likes it, the industry and not just Apple seem to be charging that. Right now, Epic is paying Apple nothing. Epic itself charges third parties. This battle won't be won or lost on a TRO, and Apple has a reputation of going the distance so it's not surprising they acted the way they did here, but like I said, they overreached.

The judge plans to provide a ruling on the issue in the near future, letting Apple and Epic know whether Apple will be allowed to block Epic from all developer tools and accounts, or whether a temporary restraining order will prevent the Cupertino company from doing so.

Update: The judge overseeing the Apple v. Epic battle has granted a temporary restraining order that will prevent Apple blocking Epic's access to development tools for the Unreal Engine. The judge will not prevent Apple from terminating the ‌Epic Games‌ developer account, which will prevent Fortnite from being updated until Epic complies with the ‌App Store‌ rules.

Epic was unable to demonstrate that Apple's blocking of Fortnite will case irreparable harm as, as the ruling says, "the current predicament appears of [Epic's] own making." Epic was, however, able to demonstrate a "preliminary showing of irreparable harm" related to the revocation of Apple's developer tools for the Unreal Engine.

The judge points out that Epic International, separate from ‌Epic Games‌, is responsible for the Unreal Engine development, and Epic International has "separate developer program license agreements with Apple and those agreements have not been breached." Apple had argued that it routinely terminates agreements for all linked developer accounts, which it will not be able to do in this case. From the ruling:

Thus, in focusing on the status quo, the Court observes that Epic Games strategically chose to breach its agreements with Apple which changed the status quo. No equities have been identified suggesting that the Court should impose a new status quo in favor of Epic Games. By contrast, with respect to the Unreal Engine and the developer tools, the Court finds the opposite result. In this regard, the contracts related to those applications were not breached. Apple does not persuade that it will be harmed based on any restraint on removing the developer tools. The parties' dispute is easily cabined on the antitrust allegations with respect to the App Store. It need not go farther. Apple has chosen to act severely, and by doing so, has impacted non-parties, and a third-party developer ecosystem. In this regard, the equities do weigh against Apple.

Under the terms of the ruling, Apple is temporarily restrained from taking adverse action against ‌Epic Games‌ with respect to restricting, suspending, or terminating any affiliate of ‌Epic Games‌, such as Epic International, from Apple's Developer Program, which mean Epic can continue to work on and distribute the Unreal Engine. The restraining order goes into effect immediately and will remain in force until the court issues an order on the motion for preliminary injunction.

The hearing for the preliminary injunction is set to take place on Monday, September 28, 2020.

Apple CEO Tim Cook last week donated more than $5 million in Apple stock to an unnamed charity, according to an SEC filing shared today.

Cook donated a total of 10,715 shares worth $5.4 million at Apple's current closing price of $503.43. The SEC filing does not include details on where Cook donated his money.

Every year in August, Cook donates right around $5 million worth of stock to charity, and in a 2015 interview, Cook said that he had plans to give away the vast majority of his wealth with a "systematic approach to philanthropy."

Following the donation, Cook continues to hold 837,374 shares of Apple stock worth $422 million.