MacRumors

Last year, Apple, Amazon, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance, which includes Ikea, Samsung, and Philips, announced a new working group known as "Project Connected Home over IP" that set about developing an IP-based open-source connectivity standard for smart home products, with a focus on increased compatibility, security, and simplified development for manufacturers. The group has today announced a major update on the project, stating that development is ongoing, and that work is on track for a 2021 release.

The update reveals the first concrete information about how the open-source smart home standard will work. A large number of devices will be supported by the protocol, including "lighting and electrical (e.g., light bulbs, luminaires, controls, plugs, outlets), HVAC controls (e.g., thermostats, AC units), access control (e.g., door locks, garage doors), safety and security (e.g., sensors, detectors, security systems), window coverings/shades, TVs, access points, bridges and others," as well as additional "consumer electronics products."

The announcement also reveals that the group has grown significantly, now with 145 active member companies. Between these companies there are hundreds of product, engineering, and marketing experts, working across 30 cross-functional teams to deliver the new standard.

The group recently launched an open-source repository on GitHub, where it is "rapidly iterating on the global open standard, based on market-proven technologies." By sharing the repository, the group hopes to bring the benefits of the project to consumers and manufacturers as quickly as possible.

The project will likely make it easier for device manufacturers to build devices that are compatible with smart home and voice services such as Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and others by defining a specific set of IP-based networking technologies for device certification. The new standard will also incorporate existing smart home technologies, such as Apple's HomeKit and Google's Weave and Thread.

By the end of 2020, the group aims to provide a "draft specification," and release the completed standard next year. For consumers, this should ultimately lead to improved smart home accessories with better connectivity, multi-platform support, and easier setup.

VIZIO today announced that the Apple TV app is now available on its 2016 and newer SmartCast TVs in the United States and Canada.

The Apple TV app allows users to stream TV shows and movies from Apple TV+, à-la-carte Apple TV Channels, and their iTunes libraries, as well as buy or rent more than 100,000 shows and movies from the iTunes Store.

From today until October 16, eligible VIZIO SmartCast TV owners in the United States can sign up for Apple TV+ and receive three months free.

The Apple TV app is already available on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, Apple TV, select Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, and select Samsung and LG smart TVs. Sony also plans to roll out the Apple TV app later this year, according to Apple.

VIZIO rolled out HomeKit and AirPlay 2 support to its 2016 and newer SmartCast TVs last year.

Apple this morning announced an event that's set to be held on September 15, and since Apple holds an iPhone-focused event every fall one might assume that the upcoming event will see the unveiling of the iPhone 12 lineup, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests that's not the case.

According to Gurman, Apple will not announce the ‌iPhone‌ until October, which means the September event could instead feature new iPads and Apple Watch models. BuzzFeed's John Paczkowski has confirmed in a tweet that says "Don't hold your breath for the new ‌iPhone‌."

A September event that does not include the new ‌iPhone‌ models would be unusual, but this year's ‌iPhone‌ lineup is delayed, as Apple confirmed in July. Apple is expecting the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models to launch a couple of weeks later than normal, with the devices set to debut in October rather than September.

The ‌iPhone‌ 12 launch is also expected to be staggered with the more affordable models coming out ahead of the Pro models, and that further delay could be another reason why Apple might want to hold an ‌iPhone‌ announcement until October.

Apple is working on the Apple Watch Series 6, which is expected to feature blood oxygen monitoring as a major new addition. There have also been multiple rumors of a 10.8 to 11-inch iPad model with an edge-to-edge display and Touch ID either built into the Power button or the display, and that device is expected to be an iPad Air.

If there's no ‌iPhone‌, we could also see other rumored products like the first Arm-based Mac (which is rumored to be a 13-inch MacBook Pro), over-ear "AirPods Studio" headphones, AirTags, and a smaller HomePod, all of which have been rumored for a fall launch.

The September 15 event could also see the release of iOS 14, watchOS 7, tvOS 14, and macOS Big Sur, which have been in beta testing since June.

Apple this morning announced a digital-only event that will be held on Tuesday, September 15, and if you view the event webpage on an iPhone, you can tap on the logo to open up Apple's Safari AR viewer, to see the logo morph and change in real-time in the real world.

Just open up the event site on an ‌iPhone‌ or iPad and tap right on the logo to open up the AR version. The graphic Apple is using for the event morphs from an Apple logo to the date and back again.

Apple often creates fun graphical experiences for its events. In the past, it has done an October iPad event where it created dozens of different Apple logos, and people often look to event art designs to seek out signs of what to expect when it comes to announcements.

Apple's September events have historically focused on the ‌iPhone‌, but rumors indicate that the September 15 event will instead see the unveiling of the Apple Watch Series 6 and new ‌iPad‌ models rather than the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, which is expected to be announced later.

Apple today announced on its events page that it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, September 15 at 10:00 a.m. at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.

As with WWDC, Apple's fall event appears to be a digital-only gathering with no members of the media invited to attend in person due to the ongoing public health crisis. The format is likely to be similar to WWDC, with Apple providing pre-taped segments for each new product that's expected to be announced.

Apple hasn't released many products in 2020 due to the pandemic, so there's a lot on the horizon. The event will likely focus on the iPhone, and this year, we're expecting four iPhones in three sizes. The ‌iPhone‌ 12, which will be the more affordable ‌iPhone‌ model available, will come in 5.4 and 6.1-inch size options. The 5.4-inch model will be the smallest ‌iPhone‌ that Apple has released in years.

The ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, the higher-end flagship ‌iPhone‌ models, will come in 6.1 and 6.7-inch size options. The 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ will be the largest ‌iPhone‌ that Apple has ever released. All of the iPhones will feature edge to edge displays and Face ID functionality with TrueDepth cameras.

Apple's 2020 ‌iPhone‌ lineup will support 5G and the iPhones will feature a new iPad Pro-style design that does away with the rounded edges that have been used since the ‌iPhone‌ 6 in favor of more squared edges like the iPad Pro or the ‌iPhone‌ 4.

New camera tech is expected, with the high-end iPhones expected to gain LiDAR Scanners similar to the ‌iPad Pro‌, and 120Hz displays are a possibility. All of the new iPhones will use faster A14 chips, and because 5G is expensive, Apple may do away with the power adapter and earbuds that normally come along with an ‌iPhone‌, instead offering these separately.

Apple's iPhones are delayed this year and won't be shipping out to customers in September. Apple has confirmed that the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models will launch a few weeks later than usual, suggesting an October debut.

Along with new iPhones, we're also expecting the Apple Watch Series 6, which is expected to look similar to the Apple Watch Series 5. It may have new health tracking capabilities, though, as blood oxygen level detection has been rumored.

Apple is also working on new iPads, and the event could perhaps see the unveiling of the rumored 11-inch iPad Air that's supposed to feature an all-screen display with Touch ID either built into the power button or under the display. There may also be a new low-cost ‌iPad‌ in the works with a larger form factor.

We're expecting the first Arm-based Macs this year, which could come in the form of a refreshed MacBook Air and a redesigned 23 or 24-inch iMac, but Apple is likely to save those for a later unveiling rather than introducing them with new iPhones.

Other wild card products we could see include the rumored over-ear AirPods Studio headphones, AirTags, a wireless charging mat of some kind, and a smaller, low-cost HomePod. For more on the products that Apple has in the works, make sure to check out our upcoming products guide.

Apple plans to stream the fall ‌iPhone‌ event live on its website and on the Apple TV when it kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. For those unable to watch, MacRumors will be providing full event coverage both on MacRumors.com and through the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

Update 8:49 a.m.: Apple has also sent out specific invites for members of the press, with the invites carrying the tagline "Time Flies."

Update 9:17 a.m.: Apple has shared a YouTube placeholder video for the event, which will be available live on YouTube, the Events app on ‌Apple TV‌, and the Events website on Apple devices.

Peloton today announced a new stationary workout bike that is compatible with Apple's GymKit, allowing Apple Watch owners to easily pair with it for metric syncing and more accurate activity tracking.

The Bike+ features a 23.8-inch rotating HD touchscreen that allows users to switch between cycling sessions and Peloton's trainer-led floor-based workouts, while a new four-speaker audio system offers better sound quality.

The equipment also comes with new intelligent setting called "auto-follow" that allows users to let the Bike+ automatically adjust resistance based on the user's Target Metrics.

The Peloton Bike+ costs $2,495 and will be available to order from September 9. Anyone with an original Peloton Bike will be able to trade it in and get a $700 credit towards the new model. The All-Access Membership costs $39 per month and includes all of Peloton's guided instructor courses.

Also today, Peloton announced a shakeup of its treadmill lineup. The original Peloton Tread has been renamed Peloton Tread+ and the company is launching a new, more affordable model that will inherit the name of the original model.

The new Peloton Tread includes a 23.8-inch touchscreen, a smaller tread base, and a new running platform designed to make training easier. The new Peloton Tread will launch early next year and will cost $2,495.

GymKit was introduced in watchOS 4.1 in October 2017.

Apple has today launched an official "Oprah's Book Club" podcast, to accompany the Apple TV+ series of the same name (via The Hollywood Reporter).

Apple's ongoing partnership with Oprah Winfrey has now expanded into podcasting. Over a series of eight episodes, Oprah will discuss Isabel Wilkerson's book "Caste: The Origins of our Discontents."

The non-fiction book, published at the start of August, illustrates "the hidden hierarchy of human ranking that has shaped America." It was lauded soon after on The New York Times bestsellers list. Winfrey said the book "provides a new way of seeing racial inequality, giving rise to countless aha moments and helping us truly understand America as it is now and how we hope it will be."

The podcast will revolve around discussions with a group of guests as they explore the "eight pillars of caste" laid out in the book. Two episodes will be released each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The trailer and first episode of the podcast series is available now.

Oprah's Book Club now spans ‌Apple TV‌+, the Books app, podcasts, curated articles on Apple News, and an interview with Wilkerson streaming on Apple Music. Winfrey will also discuss the book with Wilkerson on the Oprah's Book Club ‌Apple TV‌+ show this fall.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Apple was planning to develop a range of original podcasts, some of which would focus on ‌Apple TV‌+ titles, in an effort to compete with the likes of Spotify and Amazon.

In May, Apple introduced The Zane Lowe Interview Series, which featured in-depth conversations from the DJ’s ‌Apple Music‌ show, and daily news roundup "Apple News Today." ‌Apple TV‌+ anthology series "Little America" is also due to receive an accompanying podcast at some point in the future.

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.

With rumors suggesting that Apple may announce the date of its fall product event at some point this week, the #AppleEvent hashtag on Twitter has now been customized with a blue Apple logo, fueling even more speculation.

According to Jane Manchun Wong's Hashflag Browser, the Apple logo was added to the hashtag earlier today and will be active through Monday, September 28. While nothing is for certain, this expiration date could suggest that Apple plans to host its fall event at some point in September, rather than in the second half of October as previously rumored.

Twitter allows brands to add custom emojis next to hashtags as a marketing strategy. According to Agency Creative, these "hashflags" can cost upwards of one million dollars, and they're commonly seen for large events like the Super Bowl or holidays. The file name for Apple's hashflag is AppleEvent2020.png.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently suggested that Apple will soon announce a virtual iPhone and Apple Watch event that would take place later in September. This contradicts information shared by leaker Jon Prosser, who claimed that new Apple Watch and iPad Air models would be announced via press release today.

Update: Apple has announced that it will be hosting a virtual event on September 15 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

Update 9/15: On the day of Apple's event, Twitter has added a unique heart animation to the Like button if the tweet being liked includes the #AppleEvent hashtag – try it!

Australia is now investigating app store policies as part of yet another antitrust inquiry into Apple and Google (via Gizmodo).

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced that it will investigate the competition between the Google Play store and Apple's App Store, access to platforms and consumers, fee structures, data collection, and price transparency. The work is part of an ACCC inquiry spanning five years, which intends to produce reports every six months examining markets for the supply of digital platform services in Australia.

"We want to know more about the market for mobile apps in Australia, including how transparent and effective the market is, for consumers as well as those operating in the market. We will also focus on the extent of competition between the major online app stores, and how they compete for app sales with other app providers," said ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard. "For app developers and suppliers, gaining a spot in one of the major app stores can result in significant sales, while failing to gain access can be a major setback. We are keen to provide greater transparency on how this process works. We are also interested in how data is used and shared in the app ecosystem, including the data available to Google and Apple as a result of their control of the major app stores."

The investigation will examine the experiences that Australians have with Apple and Google's app stores, including consumers, suppliers, and developers. Part of this will involve a public survey and the full report is set to be delivered in March 2021.

In recent months, similar inquiries have taken place in the United States, the European Union, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, and Korea, as big tech companies come under increasing scrutiny for allegedly monopolistic and anti-competitive practices.

Apple will begin mass producing the iPhone 12 on a limited scale later this month and on into early October, according to a report today from Nikkei Asian Review.

Of the four 5G devices Apple is expected to launch this year, production will reportedly begin with the more affordable 6.1-inch OLED model with dual-lens camera, which accounts for around 40% of Apple's production orders for its ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, claims Nikkei's sources.

This model is expected to replace the ‌iPhone‌ 11, which is said to have been the single most popular smartphone this year. Apple is also set to launch a smaller 5.4-inch model, a more expensive 6.1-inch model with triple-lens camera, and a premium 6.7-inch model – its largest ‌iPhone‌ yet.

Nikkei claims Apple ordered components for up to 80 million 5G iPhones, but its sources say the actual number produced this year may end up being between 73 million and 74 million, with the rest deferred into early 2021.

That's not being seen as a significant problem in terms of revenue, however, since Apple has been able to reach production orders of as much as 27 million units for new iPads for September-December, which is nearly as much as all iPad models (both new and old) produced in the second half of last year.

The healthy demand for iPads is said to have been a result of the significant increase in remote working and remote learning during the ongoing global health crisis.

In addition, Nikkei claims Apple has already begun mass production of AirTags, the rumored new Tile-like Bluetooth tracking device that's designed to be attached to items like keys and wallets. According to the latest AirTags rumor from Japanese site Mac Otakara, Apple's AirTags will be introduced alongside the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and Apple Watch Series 6 at an event set to be held in the latter half of October.

Over the weekend, frequent Leaker Jon Prosser claimed that Apple was targeting a 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time press release today. Prosser had previously said that new ‌iPad‌ and Apple Watch models were planned to launch during the week of September 7.

Prosser has since doubled down on that claim. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has cast some doubt on the rumor, however, by suggesting that any news today would "more likely" be an announcement about a virtual media event to unveil the next ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch.

Yesterday, frequent leaker Jon Prosser claimed that Apple was targeting 9:00 a.m. Eastern time tomorrow, September 8, for a press release launch of new products. Prosser had previously said that new iPad and Apple Watch models were planned to launch during the week of September 7, so those appeared to be the products we should be expecting to see.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman cast some doubt on the rumor, however, suggesting that any news tomorrow morning would "more likely" be an announcement about a virtual media event to unveil the next iPhone and Apple Watch.

With less than twelve hours to go until the rumored press release time, Prosser is doubling down on his claim, saying that his sources "are not budging or changing their mind" and that new iPad Air and Apple Watch models are expected to debut tomorrow.

Supporting his case, Prosser pointed out earlier today that many Apple Watch Series 5 models are listed as currently unavailable in Apple's online store, with the assumption being that Apple has been depleting its stock of the current models in advance of an imminent update.

We've been watching Apple Watch Series 5 stock levels over the past few weeks and have seen a number of them going out of stock, and the number of affected models does appear to be increasing, but it's hard to say whether they point toward an imminent launch as soon as tomorrow or perhaps within the next month.

Apple has struggled with supplies of a number of its products over the past six months, thanks to the global health crisis impacting not only production at times but also consumer demand for certain product lines.

Given the unlikelihood of an in-person media event to introduce new hardware and Apple's admission that new iPhones will launch "a few weeks later" than usual, we're in uncharted waters and not entirely sure how Apple will roll out the numerous new products that appear to be on the verge of launching. So stay tuned tomorrow morning, and we'll see whether Apple has anything to announce.

Apple today announced that its new Marina Bay Sands retail store in Singapore will open at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, with Apple calling it the company's "most ambitious retail project."

The Marina Bay Sands store appears to float on Marina Bay and its all-glass dome assembled using 114 pieces of glass is a one-of-a-kind construction.

Inspired by the Pantheon in Rome, an oculus located at the apex of the dome provides a flooding ray of light that travels through the space. The interior of the glass is lined with custom baffles, each uniquely shaped to counter sun angles and provide a nighttime lighting effect. With trees lining the interior of the dome, the green garden city of Singapore flows into the store, providing additional shading and soft shadows through the foliage.

The store, which will be staffed by 148 employees who collectively speak over 23 languages, includes not only the usual product display areas and massive video wall anchoring The Forum, but also Apple's first underwater Boardroom for business meetings, training, and private events.

Apple Marina Bay Sands is the company's third retail store in Singapore, and opening-day visits will be by reservation only with reservations made through the store web page.

Apple has hired Tim Connolly, a Hollywood executive with experience at Disney, Hulu, and Quibi, for Apple TV, according to The Telegraph.

Connolly was vice-president of digital distribution and new product development at Disney. He was one of the most senior executives at streaming startup Quibi, running partnerships and advertising, but he vacated the role before the video service launched earlier this year. Connolly also helped to launch Hulu's live TV service, which involved striking deals with other major networks. Similarly, he oversaw a deal between Spotify and Hulu to bundle their services.

Connolly's exact role at Apple is as yet unknown, but it seems likely that he will be involved in brokering deals for ‌Apple TV‌'s Channels feature. The ‌Apple TV‌ app allows users to buy and watch third-party streaming services directly within the app, but support has been limited thus far. Apple began selling subscriptions to combined services last month, with a bundle including CBS All Access and Showtime, for an overall lower price of $9.99. This move and the hiring of Connolly may indicate that Apple is planning to launch more similar bundles and bolster ‌Apple TV‌ Channels.

Given Connolly's experience in bundling services, it is also possible that he is involved in launching Apple's upcoming "Apple One" subscription service bundles. The series of bundles would allow customers to subscribe to several Apple digital services, such as Apple Music and ‌Apple TV‌+, together. This is expected to result in a lower monthly price than when the services are subscribed to individually.

Apple did not respond to The Telegraph's request for comment. Connolly's arrival at Apple is yet another indication that the company is heavily investing in its TV and subscription service enterprises.

Italy's antitrust regulator has today opened another inquiry into Apple for allegedly improper commercial practices with regards to cloud computing services (via Reuters).

The investigation will also look into the practices of Google and Dropbox, in addition to Apple. The L'Autorit Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM) did not release further information or state how long the investigation would take, and Apple has yet to comment on the matter.

"The proceedings relate to alleged improper commercial practices and the possible inclusion of unfair clauses in contract conditions," the AGCM said in a statement.

The investigation is the third by the AGCM into Apple. In July, the AGCM began scrutinizing Apple and Amazon over allegations that the two companies blocked the sale of Apple and Beats devices to resellers in order to stifle competition. Each investigation is separate and managed irrespective of other ongoing investigations.

A previous AGCM probe looked into the company for iPhone battery slowdowns, which the antitrust watchdog said was a form of planned obsolescence. It subsequently demanded a 10 million euro fine from Apple as a sanction.

After LG disappointed swathes of customers by saying it had "no plans" to bring promised AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support to select 2018 TVs, the company has now renewed its pledge to do so by the end of the year.

Today's announcement was made by LG UK's official Twitter account, the very same account that last month told its customers that ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and ‌HomeKit‌ would not be coming to its pre-2019 TVs, despite previously giving customers assurances that they would do so this year.

The original tweet has since been deleted, and it's not clear whether this latest u-turn is the result of poor communication within the company or a reaction to the outpouring of negative customer comments that its earlier statement elicited. Either way, owners of 2018 LG smart TVs that have LCD models with "SK" or "UK" in the name or OLED models with "B8" through "Z8" in the name are likely to welcome the development.

‌AirPlay‌‌ 2 support will enable users of the above TV models to stream videos, music, podcasts, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to their LG smart TV, with no Apple TV necessary. With ‌‌HomeKit‌‌ support, they will be able to control their TV's power, volume, source, and more using Siri or the Home app on ‌‌iPhone‌‌, ‌‌iPad‌‌, and Mac.

LG today also officially announced worldwide support for Apple's TV app on select LG 2018 OLED and Super UHD TVs, with support for UHD TV models to follow. The announcement follows scattered reports last month that the ‌Apple TV‌ app had begun showing up for some users.

Apple is set to debut four new OLED iPhones in 5.4, 6.1, and 6.7-inch sizes before the year is out. 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-inch device and the other 6.1-inch model will be more affordable lower-end iPhones with dual-lens cameras.

Owing to development and production delays, Apple is rumored to be staggering its ‌iPhone‌ launches this year, although we're still seeing conflicting rumors about the order in which the devices will be released.

DigiTimes has previously suggested the two 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ 12 models could come out first in October, with the 6.7 and 5.4-inch models to follow, and in a new report out today, the Taiwanese industry publication has reiterated that claim, based on the shipment timing of substrate-like printed circuit boards for the devices.

The new iPhone lineup may arrive in two stages, with two 6.1-inch models in the first and another two 6.7- and 5.4-inch devices in the second, said the sources, noting that shipments of SLP mainboards for the 6.1-inch models were kicked off in July and those for the 6.7- and 5.4-inch ones began in the second half of August.

Bloomberg has also reported that Apple will stagger its iPhone launches in 2020. However, it expects Apple to launch the more affordable 5.4 and 6.1-inch devices first, with the more expensive 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch "Pro" devices to follow.

Meanwhile, leaker Jon Prosser claims the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models will be introduced at an event set to take place during the week of October 12, with the lower-cost ‌iPhone‌ 12 models expected to be available for pre-order shortly after the event. Prosser says the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro models won't be available until November.

Regardless of the order in which Apple releases its ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, an official announcement about the devices could be just around the corner. Prosser believes an iPad and Apple Watch press release is due as soon as this Tuesday, but well-connected Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman thinks it's likely to be an announcement of a virtual ‌iPhone‌/Apple Watch event in September.

For further details on what features to expect in Apple's upcoming ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, be sure to check out our dedicated guide.