MacRumors

With most Apple Stores around the world closed since March 14, demand for Apple's devices has been dropping off. As a result, the factories that assemble those devices are reducing staff and cutting overtime hours, according to Financial Times.

Multiple workers at Foxconn's Zhengzhou complex, where iPhones are assembled, said that Foxconn has paused hiring and has begun cutting some of the temporary workers that it hired after ramping up production following factory closures in February.

Overtime hours have also been cut, and Foxconn has been encouraging employees to take holidays. Workers say no overtime has been worked since April 10.

Pegatron has also been cutting employees due to falling demand. Approximately a thousand temporary and third-party workers were fired, according to an employee at the factory. "The US orders are not coming, so why would we keep all the workers," he said.

Apple has begun reopening its stores, starting with a retail location in South Korea. There is no clear word yet on when stores in the United States are set to open, but Apple is aiming for May. Stores are expected to reopen on a rolling basis, with Apple taking into account local conditions and guidelines for each location.

Apple may postpone a larger version of the new low-cost iPhone SE until the second half of 2021, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a previous note, Kuo said that Apple was working on an "‌iPhone‌ SE Plus" set to be released in the first half of 2021, but now he believes Apple will "likely postpone" this new model until later in 2021.

We predicted that Apple would launch the new iPhone model in 1H21 in a previous report ("iPhone supply chain to be 2020 top pick in the tech sector; key predictions for new iPhone product mixes in 2020 and 2021" [December 5, 2019]). However, we think that Apple will likely postpone the new model from 1H21 to 2H21.

The ‌iPhone‌ SE Plus is expected to have a 5.5 or 6.1-inch display with a full-screen design, similar to the ‌iPhone‌ 11 and 11 Pro. It will not use Face ID, though, and will instead feature Touch ID integrated into the power button on the right side of the device.

With no ‌Face ID‌, the ‌iPhone‌ SE Plus will feature a smaller notch as the front of the device will only need to house a standard front-facing camera, microphone, and speaker.

Apple just this month released the ‌iPhone‌ SE, a $399 ‌iPhone‌ that is similar in design to the ‌iPhone‌ 8 but with an upgraded A13 processor. It marries ‌Touch ID‌ and an older ‌iPhone‌ design with newer ‌iPhone‌ performance and is an appealing upgrade option for those coming from older iPhones like the ‌iPhone‌ 6 or ‌iPhone‌ 7.

Kuo has not provided details on the pricing of the ‌iPhone‌ SE Plus, but if it's in the SE family, it will presumably have a price tag lower than that of Apple's flagship devices despite the full-screen design and relocated ‌Touch ID‌ button.

Some of Apple's upcoming 5G iPhones could see a delay in production, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a note shared with investors. mmWave models, which will feature the fastest 5G functionality, have a "potential delay risk" and may launch outside of the normal timeline.

Production on the mmWave iPhone may be pushed back because of changes to the antenna package that were made in early April, and delays in qualification process services.

The mmWave iPhone will be pushed back because the design of the antenna in package (AiP) changes in early April. Additionally, the test lab is closed and can't offer qualification process services. If the pandemic can't be controlled well until July, then we think that the shipment allocation of mmWave iPhones will decrease to 5-10% from 15-20%.

Kuo says the rumored 6.1-inch and 5.4-inch iPhones will go into mass production in September, but mass production on the larger 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ will be delayed until October because it has the "most complicated" design.

Apple decided to start the online qualification process remotely and delegate more tasks to local employees for new iPhone development. The change takes time; therefore, it had caused a one-month delay in entering the engineering verification test (EVT) for all new 2H20 iPhones. We believe that there is a likelihood that new 2H20 6.1-inch and 5.4-inch iPhones will go into mass production in September. The mass production of the new 2H20 6.7-inch iPhone will be delayed to October because this model’s design is the most complicated.

Delaying mass production on the 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ until October would result in the ‌iPhone‌ launching later in the fall than expected. Other rumors have also suggested Apple could stagger ‌iPhone‌ launches this year due to production and verification process delays.

According to Kuo, ‌iPhone‌ SE sales were better than expected, but overall demand for iPhones is down. In the worst case scenario, Kuo estimates second quarter ‌iPhone‌ shipments of 29 to 32 million units, declining 20 to 25 percent year over year.

If consumer confidence and purchasing power recover in the third quarter of 2020, ‌iPhone‌ shipments could fall as little as 10 to 15 percent year over year.

Apple plans to introduce a 23-inch iMac in the second half of 2020, with mass production set to begin in the third or fourth quarter, according to a China Times report spotted by Mac Otakara. Apple could likely achieve this display size by simply reducing the thickness of the bezels on the current 21.5-inch iMac.

The report claims that the new iMac will be one of several lower-priced products that Apple introduces this year, including the new iPhone SE and a forthcoming 11-inch iPad, also expected in the second half of 2020. Apple currently offers 21.5-inch and 27-inch versions of the iMac, which was last updated in March 2019 with up to 8-core 9th-generation Intel processors and Radeon Pro Vega graphics options.

iMac pricing currently starts at $1,099, although it costs an additional $200 to upgrade from a spinning hard drive to an SSD.

As for the 11-inch iPad, it is not entirely clear if the report is referring to a new version of the 10.2-inch iPad or the 10.5-inch iPad Air. Last month, the anonymous Twitter account "L0vetodream" claimed that Apple is developing a new 11-inch iPad Air with Touch ID under the display, allowing for a nearly full screen, notch-less design.

That leak said the 11-inch iPad Air will have a Mini-LED backlit display. Apple is developing at least six other products with Mini-LED displays for release by the end of 2021, including a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, a 27-inch iMac Pro, a 14-inch MacBook Pro, a 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, a 10.2-inch iPad, and a 7.9-inch ‌iPad‌ mini, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo has previously said that Mini-LED backlit displays will allow for thinner and lighter product designs, while offering many of the same benefits of OLED displays used on the latest iPhones, including good wide color gamut performance, high contrast and dynamic range, and local dimming for truer blacks.

Mass production of Mini-LED products could be delayed until 2021, according to the China Times.

Apple this week has expanded its "Look Around" feature for Apple Maps to include Chicago, the latest major U.S. city to gain the 3D street-level imagery to compete with Google's Street View.

The expansion of Look Around to Chicago has been documented in detail by Justin O'Beirne, who notes that this brings the total number of metropolitan areas with Look Around to ten. The most recent expansion prior to this week came in February when Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. were added.

As O'Beirne notes, while Look Around only covers 0.3 percent of the land area in the United States, it covers 13.8 percent of the U.S. population. That's still a far cry from Google's nearly ubiquitous Street View coverage, although Look Around has been compared favorably to Street View for the quality of its imagery and the smoothness of transitions as you navigate around.

In areas where Look Around is available, a binoculars icon will appear in the top-right corner of ‌Apple Maps‌. Tapping that icon opens a street-level view in a card overlay at the top of the screen, which can then be expanded to a full-screen view. Look Around also appears in the search results for a supported city, below the Flyover and Directions buttons.

Apple is unsurprisingly prioritizing the largest cities in the U.S. with its Look Around feature in order to most efficiently cover the largest number of people, with O'Beirne noting that eight of the ten Look Around areas rank among the ten largest urban areas in the country. The two outliers, Las Vegas and Honolulu, are major tourist destinations and thus also prime targets for the feature.

O'Beirne has much more in his blog post on the expansion, including some predictions on which cities might be next to see Look Around.

Apple plans to release new AirPods with the same design as the existing AirPods Pro but without active noise cancellation, allowing for a lower price point, according to supply chain sources cited by Taiwanese publication DigiTimes.

The paywalled report claims that Apple originally planned to unveil the new AirPods in May 2020, and while Apple has apparently not yet made any adjustments to that release schedule, the supply chain sources believe that Apple may have to postpone the launch to the second half of 2020 or even 2021 due to the global health crisis.

An excerpt from the report:

Apple may have to defer the launch of its new AirPods Pro to the second half of 2020 or even 2021, according to sources at related suppliers.

Apple originally planned to unveil the new AirPods Pro in May 2020, but the schedule may be pushed back, as Apple has been unable to send staff to the production lines in Asia to inspect the status of the TWS earbuds due to the coronavirus outbreak, the sources noted.

But Apple so far has not yet made any adjustments to the earbuds' release schedule, the sources said.

The report refers to the earphones as new AirPods Pro, but it is quite possible these could end up being regular third-generation AirPods.

The current lineup includes second-generation AirPods with a wired charging case for $159, second-generation AirPods with a wireless charging case for $199, and AirPods Pro with a wireless charging case for $249.

Over the weekend, leaker Jon Prosser said new AirPods are "ready to go" and will "probably" launch next month.

Adobe today announced that its Photoshop and Fresco apps for iPad are now available in a bundle for $9.99 per month, compared to $9.99 per month each previously.

The offer is available to customers who subscribe to Photoshop on iPad or upgrade to the Premium tier of Adobe Fresco through the App Store, as well as to Creative Cloud customers who subscribe to any Photoshop plan on Adobe.com. Early adopters who already have a Creative Cloud membership are also eligible to switch to the bundle pricing.

Adobe has shared a blog post with tips on how to use Photoshop and Fresco together.

Apple is expected to build up inventories of its upcoming 5G iPhones in advance due to concerns over possible component shortages amid the global health crisis, according to sources cited by the Nikkei Asian Review.

An excerpt from the report:

Apple has notified several of its suppliers that it plans to make about 213 million iPhones in the 12 months through March 2021, up 4% from the same period a year ago, despite some suppliers' belief that orders could end up being significantly lower, Nikkei has learned.

The report claims that production of current models like the new iPhone SE and the upcoming 5G models will be split nearly 50-50.

Apple plans to release four 5G-enabled iPhones later this year, including one 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch model, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and other sources. All four models are expected to feature OLED displays, flatter edges like the iPhone 5 or the 2018 and later iPad Pro, and a smaller notch.

Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 5G and a Mini-LED display has been delayed until 2021 because of the impact the coronavirus outbreak has had on Apple's supply chain partners, according to a new Chinese-language report by United Daily News.

Last week, analyst Jeff Pu told investors that the rumored high-end ‌iPad Pro‌ may be delayed until early next year due to the device's "complex panel design." UDN says Apple originally planned to launch the device in the fall, but has given up on meeting this roadmap because of the outbreak. Either way, today's report adds further weight to the likelihood of a delay until 2021.

Back in December, before the global health crisis took hold, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was developing up to six ‌Mini-LED‌ products, including a 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ with an A14X chip for release in the third quarter of 2020.

Last month, leaker Jon Prosser said a new 5G-enabled ‌iPad Pro‌ with an A14X chip and no other hardware changes would be introduced in late 2020, "barring any further delays."

Apple refreshed the ‌iPad Pro‌ in March. The relatively minor update features an A12Z Bionic chip (since found to be an A12X chip with an extra GPU core enabled), an Ultra Wide camera that enables 0.5x zoom, a LiDAR Scanner for enhanced augmented reality, and better sounding microphones. It was the first update to the ‌iPad Pro‌ since the device received a major redesign in October 2018.

Twitter has released an update to its Twitter for Mac app that lets users set timelines to automatically stream new tweets, effectively removing the need to manual refresh.

After the v8.17 update has been installed, a new toggle in timeline settings lets users pin their "Latest Tweets" to the top of their timeline, enabling tweets to propagate into the feed in real-time.

Timeline streaming was originally a feature of Tweetbot and Twitterrific until Twitter unceremoniously withdrew the feature for third-party clients with the exception of TweetDeck.

Twitter released its version of Twitter for Mac back in October, when macOS Catalina came out. ‌macOS Catalina‌ was built using Apple's Catalyst feature, which allows iPad apps to be ported over to the Mac.

Twitter discontinued its prior Twitter for Mac client more than a year ago, which wasn't a popular decision with Twitter users. At the time, Twitter said it was ending support for the app to focus on a Twitter experience that was consistent across platforms, and recommended Mac users use Twitter on the web.

Twitter for Mac can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Apple could be developing a version of Xcode that runs on iPads, according to a new rumor circulating this week. The capability has been linked to the release of iOS 14 by rising Apple leaker Jon Prosser, and if true, it would enable full-scale app development to take place on Apple's mobile devices for the first time.

Developers use Xcode to create apps for iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS. However, Xcode is a complex app and has only ever been available on Mac. While Apple offers the Swift Playgrounds app for learning about coding on mobile, it has never indicated that it has any plans to bring Xcode to iPad.

But according to a tweet posted on Monday by Prosser, Xcode "is present on iOS/iPadOS 14," the implications of which are "huge" because it "opens the door for 'Pro' applications to come to ‌iPad‌."

Responding to Prosser's tweet, iOS developer and MacRumors writer Steve Moser noted that a hidden Xcode Preview app is present in iOS 13 that acts as a companion app for showing layout previews on device from the main Xcode Mac app. However, Prosser appears to be referring to the existence of a native full-fat version of Xcode for ‌iPad‌.

Such a step would be a big undertaking for Apple, requiring an overhaul of Xcode's interface to take advantage of the ‌iPad‌'s primarily touch-based operating system. If successful though, it could make full-scale app development a possibility for mobile users who don't have a Mac.

Hopefully we'll hear more at this year's virtual Worldwide Developers Conference, where Apple will reveal annual updates to all of its operating systems, including its plans for iOS 14 and iPadOS 14.

Apple has broadened the reach of its major services, including the App Store, iCloud, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Arcade, by announcing their launch in 20 additional countries starting today. Apple also said on Tuesday it was expanding the availability of Apple Music to 52 additional countries.

"We're delighted to bring many of Apple's most beloved Services to users in more countries than ever before," said Oliver Schusser, Apple's vice president of Apple Music and International Content. "We hope our customers can discover their new favorite apps, games, music, and podcasts as we continue to celebrate the world's best creators, artists, and developers."

The ‌App Store‌, ‌Apple Arcade‌, ‌Apple Music‌, ‌Apple Podcasts‌ and ‌iCloud‌ are now available in the following countries and regions:

• Africa: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Libya, Morocco, Rwanda, and Zambia.
• Asia-Pacific: Maldives and Myanmar.
• Europe: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia.
• Middle East: Afghanistan (excluding ‌Apple Music‌) and Iraq.
• Oceania: Nauru (excluding ‌Apple Music‌), Tonga, and Vanuatu.

‌Apple Music‌ is also expanding to the following countries and regions:

• Africa: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Chad, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Tunisia.
• Asia-Pacific: Bhutan.
• Europe: Croatia, Iceland, and North Macedonia.
• Latin America and the Caribbean: the Bahamas, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Turks and Caicos, and Uruguay.
• Middle East: Kuwait, Qatar, and Yemen.
• Oceania: Solomon Islands.

With global smartphone shipments falling, today's expansion reflects Apple's growing reliance on services as a major source of revenue alongside its hardware. In terms of revenue and profit, Apple recorded its best quarter ever at the start of this year, and CEO Tim Cook hailed the company's "all-time record" for services.

Apple is inviting some developers to a special Accessibility session designed to teach them how iOS apps can take advantage of accessibility features built into the operating system, according to an email shared by developer Steve Troughton-Smith.

The event, set to be held on April 23, will be an online session that takes place live, with developers able to ask questions and sign up for individual consultations. This is the first time Apple has held an online event where developers are able to interact with engineers.

It appears that Apple may be using the session as a test run for WWDC, which is set to be a digital-only event this year. Apple plans to offer an online keynote and online sessions, which will likely be similar to the Accessibility session.

France has asked Apple to remove a Bluetooth limitation that it claims is delaying the launch of a government-designed app for contact tracing to fight the coronavirus, reports Bloomberg.

iOS has a restriction that prevents apps like the one France is working on from using Bluetooth in the background if the data collected is going to be moved off of the device, which is a rule designed to protect user privacy. With this limitation, a contact tracing app is only able to access Bluetooth when an iPhone is unlocked and the app is open.

France's Digital Minister Cedric O told Bloomberg that that France is aiming to launch a contact tracing app by May 11 and that Apple's restriction is standing in the way.

"We're asking Apple to lift the technical hurdle to allow us to develop a sovereign European health solution that will be tied our health system," O said in an interview with Bloomberg. Ministers have discussed their concerns with Apple, but aren't making progress, he said.

An Apple spokesperson contacted by Bloomberg declined to comment, but pointed toward Apple's previous statement on its partnership with Google for a multi-platform contract tracing feature.

Apple and Google on April 10 announced a partnership that will see the two companies developing a Bluetooth-based smartphone tracking solution to allow governments and health agencies to reduce the spread of the coronavirus while also protecting user privacy.

The solution will take advantage of a decentralized API that will keep users' data on their smartphones rather than allowing governments to build a centralized contact database. France and the European Union are pushing for data to be sent to a central server that's managed by state health services.

The UK government has run into a similar problem with Apple in the development of its own app for contact tracing as it too wanted to use Bluetooth in the background for tracking purposes.

Apple and Google in May will release APIs that will allow for interoperability between Android and iOS devices using apps from public health authorities, while later in the year, a broader Bluetooth-based contact tracing platform will be made available at the OS level.

Note: Due to the political or social 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.

When Apple debuted the new Magic Keyboard with Trackpad for the iPad Pro, Logitech also announced new keyboards with trackpads that take advantage of the trackpad functionality in iPadOS 13.4 but are designed for older iPads, including the most recent iPad Air, the 10.5-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, and the 7th-generation iPad.

We got our hands on one of the new Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard Cases with Trackpad designed for the ‌iPad Air‌, and we thought we'd check it out to see how it works and whether it's worth the $150 purchase price.

Design wise, this is a high-quality keyboard case that's got a Microsoft Surface look and feel to it thanks to the fabric build, offering full protection for the ‌iPad‌ except for the section where the keyboard connects. With the keyboard attached, though, the ‌iPad‌ is protected when the case is closed up and not in use.

A pop-out kickstand provides 40 degrees of adjustment so it can be set to different angles for typing, watching media content, and browsing the web, and it's a solid kickstand that works well. There's also a handy Apple Pencil holder at the top to keep that accessory tucked away when not in use.

The trackpad and keyboard combo is fantastic with the iOS 13.4 trackpad integration, and it adds a new level of productivity to cases that just offer keyboards. The trackpad is a bit firm and there's a small zone at the top where it can't be clicked, but that doesn't hinder every day use.

Smooth scrolling, tap to click, and gesture support make it a pleasant usage experience, and it's clear that this was designed from the ground up with iOS 13.4 in mind. It's a solid experience that outperforms the Brydge Pro+ with trackpad that we also recently looked at.

The Logitech Combo Touch Keyboard Case supports the same gestures that you get with a Magic Trackpad 2. A three finger swipe to the left or the right swaps between apps, a three finger swipe down goes to the Home screen, a two finger swipe down brings up Spotlight search, and a three finger swipe up opens up the multitasking interface.

The keyboard is a little bit cramped when typing, but the keys feel great under the fingers with a decent amount of key travel. We did run into an issue where some keys occasionally failed to work, which as cover in the update below, was fixed by changing the settings of the keyboard.

The keys are backlit and brightness can be toggled using function keys, with other options available for accessing the Home screen, adjusting screen brightness, accessing search, and accessing media controls.

When using this keyboard in the lap without a flat surface, it works, but it's not the best experience. It's simple to type, but there is some screen wobble depending on how hard you're typing.

All in all, this is a solid keyboard option for those who don't have an ‌iPad Pro‌ and won't be able to get the Magic Keyboard. For those who want to add more functionality to their iPads and use them for a lot of typing and tasks where a trackpad would come in handy, Logitech's Combo Touch Keyboard Cases with Trackpad are well worth the purchase price and can be picked up from the Apple Store.

Update: As suggested by on the MacRumors forums, the bug where the keys weren't working properly was fixed by opening up Settings, accessing the General setting, and changing the language of the keyboard to U.S. English instead of automatic.