MacRumors

At least some new iPhones in 2020 will feature touch-integrated displays supplied by LG, according to Korean website The Elec:

LG Display is aiming to upgrade its production facilities for flexible, Gen-6 OLED panels for smaller displays at its E6 lines in Paju of Gyeonggi Province. For this, the firm will be adding new equipment by early 2020 to produce touch-integrated panels, while switching to the LTPO backplane technology.

As the E6 lines are known to be Apple-exclusive, the touch-integrated screens are to be supplied to the new iPhones to be launched next year, according to industry sources on Dec. 17.

This mirrors a recent report from Korean website ETNews, which claimed that so-called iPhone 12 Pro models will adopt a technology that allows touchscreen circuitry to be directly patterned on the OLED panel without the need for a separate layer, resulting in a thinner display and lower production costs.

ETNews said a lower-cost 6.1-inch model, presumably the iPhone 12, will stick with a traditional film-based display.

It is unclear if thinner displays would translate to thinner iPhones as a whole this year. Notably, the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are actually slightly thicker and heavier than the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, respectively, as Apple included larger batteries in its latest iPhones.

Today's report from The Elec also claims that LG is preparing to switch to LTPO backplane technology in the second half of 2020. The backplane is responsible for turning individual pixels on and off on the display.

LTPO, or low-temperature polycrystalline oxide, has an Oxide TFT structure that uses up to 15 percent less power than LTPS, or low-temperature polysilicon, the backplane technology that Apple currently uses. Naturally, that could contribute to more power efficient displays and longer battery life on 2020 iPhones.

Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5 models already feature LTPO displays. Apple's website says the technology enables Series 5 models to have the same up-to-18-hour battery life as Series 4 models despite having an always-on display:

The low temperature poly-silicon and oxide display features a reinvented pixel architecture that lets the screen refresh rate dip from 60Hz to a power-sipping 1Hz when the watch is inactive. A new low-power driver, ultra-efficient power management, and a new ambient light sensor work together so the display can stay always on with up to 18 hours of battery life.

It is unclear if LG will be ready to mass produce LTPO displays in time for 2020 iPhones.

2020 is expected to be a big year for the iPhone, with rumors pointing to new display sizes and technologies, a redesigned metal frame similar to the iPhone 4, rear-facing 3D sensing, 5G support, up to 6GB of RAM, and more.

Dutch brand ZENS today announced the availability of its AirPower-like wireless charging mat with 16 overlapping coils, allowing two devices to be charged anywhere on the mat.

The ZENS Liberty can charge any Qi-enabled devices, with the 16 coils providing a total output of 30W (2x15W) as well as supporting Apple and Samsung Fast Charge. Meanwhile, the built-in 2.4A USB port can be used to charge another device, including an Apple Watch using the optional Apple Watch USB-stick accessory.

The 16 overlapping charging coils give complete freedom of placement, allowing you to place two devices anywhere on the charging pad. For those who were wondering why the USB-port of the Liberty is placed on the top side of the charging pad, the Apple Watch USB-stick is the reason why. This add-on is specifically made for the Liberty so you can simultaneously charge an iPhone, AirPods and an Apple Watch with the Liberty, the ideal 3-in-1 wireless charger!

The USB-stick is made of the same aluminum as the Liberty and is placed in a vertical position in the USB-port of the Liberty to charge the Apple Watch in sleep-mode. The stick can also be connected to any USB-A-port to charge an Apple Watch without the mat. The USB-stick is officially MFi certified and works with Apple Watch Series 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

The ZENS Liberty has a USB-C connection and comes with a 60W USB-C certified power adapter. Separate power plugs for the E.U., U.K. and U.S. are included to make the adapter suitable for global usage.

The mat is available either with a surface of high-quality woolen upholstery textile (Atlas by Kvadrat) or with a tempered glass surface revealing the overlapping coils within. The fabric version costs $139.99 (€139.99), while the Glass edition costs $179.99 (€179.99). Both models come with a three-year extended warranty. The Apple Watch USB-add-on is available separately for $39.99 (€39.99).

This is the closest alternative to Apple's canceled AirPower mat, which would have been able to charge three devices placed anywhere on the mat, including an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods.

Apple canceled the ‌AirPower‌ in March 2019, stating that "after much effort," the mat failed to achieve the company's "high standards." An earlier report from Sonny Dickson claimed the ‌‌AirPower‌‌ would have been equipped with 21 to 24 coils, but reports claimed the mat suffered from overheating and potentially dangerous electromagnetic interference issues.

Expect a full review of the ZENS Liberty Wireless Charger on MacRumors soon.

Consumer spending on the App Store totaled a record $193 million on Christmas Day 2019, representing a 16 percent increase year on year, according to a new report by Sensor Tower.

Approximately $84 million was spent on the Google Play store, representing year-on-year growth of 2.7 percent. Apple's ‌App Store‌ accounted for 70 percent of spending between the two platforms, which amounted to $277 million combined.

That total represented combined year-over-year growth of 11.3 percent for the two stores, which brought in $249 million combined in user spending on Christmas Day in 2018.

Sensor Tower says the increase in spending was largely due to new mobile device owners and people who received ‌App Store‌ gift cards, with games being the most popular purchase.

The majority of mobile spending on Christmas, approximately $210 million, was focused on the Games category, which generated 76 percent of revenue across both stores and grew about 8 percent Y/Y from $195 million. PUBG Mobile from Tencent’s TiMi studio led in-game spending with $8.5 million, up 431 percent from the $1.6 million players spent in the game on Christmas 2018.

Other apps accounted for approximately 2 percent more of all spending this Christmas compared to a year prior, bringing in an estimated $67 million. The top non-game app for overall spending on Christmas was reportedly the dating app Tinder, which brought in a gross global revenue near $2.1 million.

The ‌App Store‌ makes up a huge portion of Apple's services business. It currently receives a 30 percent cut of all revenue that developers earn from the ‌App Store‌, with the exception of subscription apps. For apps where a customer maintains a subscription for more than a year, developers are entitled to an 85/15 split, with Apple taking a 15 percent cut rather than a 30 percent cut.

LG today announced the upcoming debut of its 2020 8K TV lineup featuring eight new TVs in sizes ranging from 65 inches to 88 inches, all of which support Apple's HomeKit and AirPlay 2.

There are premium 77 and 88 inch LG Signature OLED 8K TVs along with 8K LG NanoCell TVs in 65 and 75-inch sizes. LG says that all of the TVs exceed the official 8K Ultra HD definition set by the Consumer Technology Association and are able to play native 8K content.

The new TVs work with Apple ‌HomeKit‌ and ‌AirPlay‌ 2, allowing them to interact with other ‌AirPlay‌ 2 devices and to be controlled via Siri voice commands. ‌HomeKit‌ support also means the new LG TVs will show up in the Home app.

LG's 2020 8K TVs include a new AI processor that takes advantage of deep learning for optimized picture and sound quality. The TVs are able to recognize faces and text on the screen, fine-tuning and sharpening for natural skin tones, better defined facial features, and clearer characters.

LG will be showing off its 8K TV lineup at the Consumer Electronics Show, which is set to kick off next week.

Apple shares today hit a new all-time high and reached a closing price of $300 following yesterday's New Year's holiday, marking significant growth over the course of the last year.

In early January 2019, Apple shares were at $144 after Apple lowered its revenue guidance for Q1 2019 by up to $9 billion, spooking investors.

iPhone sales in late 2018 and 2019 saw a major drop in China due to rising ‌iPhone‌ prices and trade tensions, but Apple has managed to boost sales by lowering prices, offering promotions, and introducing the ‌iPhone‌ 11 at a new $699 price point.

Apple stock has surged over the course of the last two months thanks to reports of better than expected ‌iPhone‌ 11 and 11 Pro sales and reports of stronger than ever AirPods sales.

Former HBO CEO and chairman Richard Plepler has signed a five year deal with Apple to produce content for Apple TV+, reports The New York Times.

Under the terms of the deal, Plepler's newly formed company, Eden Productions, will make TV shows, documentaries, and films exclusively for the ‌Apple TV‌+ streaming service.

Plepler worked at HBO for 27 years before leaving in February 2019, eight months after AT&T became its owner, and under his leadership, HBO had hits like "Game of Thrones" and "Big Little Lies."

Rumors of talks between Plepler and Apple first surfaced in November, with Plepler making it clear at the time that he did not want to return to TV as an executive, but instead wanted to take on a new role as a producer.

In today's article from The New York Times, Plepler explained why he didn't want to continue working as a TV executive:

"It was instantaneously clear to me that I had a wonderful and very privileged run at HBO and I wasn't going to be able to duplicate that again," Mr. Plepler said in his first interview since leaving the network. "And I didn't want to try to duplicate that again. It felt very clear to me that I just wanted to do my own thing."

Plepler was drawn to Apple because he has been a "longtime admirer" of Eddy Cue, who runs Apple's software and services, including overseeing Apple's TV division. Cue got in touch right after Plepler left HBO and invited Plepler to "talk" when things settled after his departure.

According to Plepler, he had conversations with multiple people about his next step, but his only "serious" talks were with Apple. ‌Apple TV‌+ is new enough, said Plepler, that he felt he could "make a little contribution there."

Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, the two ‌Eddy Cue‌ hires who run Apple's TV business, will work with Plepler. Van Amburg said that he's looking forward to seeing Plepler "thrive" at Apple.

Along with Plepler, Apple has signed production deals with multiple companies, including A24, Imagine Documentaries, and Oprah Winfrey, plus it has established deals with producers and directors like Jason Katims, Alfonso Cuaron, and Justin Lin.

Apple accessory maker Brydge this week introduced a new iPad Pro keyboard with a built-in multi-touch trackpad.

Taking advantage of new AssistiveTouch functionality in iPadOS, the trackpad can be used to bring up the Dock from any app with a two-finger tap, access the App Exposé screen with a three-finger tap, and more.

The full-size QWERTY keyboard features LED-backlit keys with three levels of brightness and an advertised three-month battery life per charge. It is compatible with the latest-generation 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, connecting via Bluetooth 4.1 rather than the Smart Connector.

Pricing is set at $199.99 for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $229.99 for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with the first 500 pre-orders estimated to ship in late February 2020, followed by the remainder of pre-orders shipping in late March 2020.

Brydge is also gauging interest for a standalone multi-touch trackpad for the iPad Pro, pictured above, that is "coming soon."

Apple will be making several changes to the suppliers of its products in 2020, according to reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

For starters, Kuo expects Chinese company Goertek to begin assembly of AirPods Pro in the first half of the year. The addition of a second supplier alongside Luxshare Precision should help improve supply of the popular earphones, which continue to face multi-week shipping estimates on Apple.com.

Luxshare itself will replace Quanta Computer as the exclusive manufacturer and supplier of S-series chips for the new Apple Watch in 2020, aka Series 6 models if Apple sticks with its naming trend, Kuo added.

And last, Kuo expects Chinese manufacturer BYD Electronic to replace Quanta Computer as the sole assembler of the iPod touch in 2020, as well as obtain at least 10-20 percent of non-cellular iPad orders. Naturally, if this goes well, the company is expected to receive an even larger percentage of orders in 2021 and beyond.

Kuo outlined these details in a research note with investment firm TF International Securities, seen by MacRumors.

As expected, Apple chipmaker TSMC has secured orders for the "A14" processors to go in this year's iPhones and is expected to start manufacturing the chips in the second quarter, according to industry sources cited in a DigiTimes report.

The sources said Apple's 5G mmWave handsets to be released in 2020 are reportedly to each carry at least three AiP modules, which can also be packaged with FC_AiP (flip-chip) process in addition to InFo_AiP.

TSMC has been working hard to miniaturize its fabrication process to 5 nanometers – down from 7 nanometer fabrication seen in the A12 and A13 – with the aim of securing orders for Apple's processors in its iPhones for the fourth year running.

Previous successes in miniaturization have enabled the foundry to be Apple's exclusive supplier of A-series chips, beginning with the A10 Fusion chip in the iPhone 7/7 Plus, and continuing with the A11 Bionic chip in the ‌iPhone‌ 8/8 Plus and ‌‌iPhone‌‌ X, the A12 Bionic in the ‌iPhone‌ XR/XS/XS Max, and the A13 Bionic in the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series.

Last year it announced a $25 billion investment in the new 5nm node technology in a bid to remain the exclusive supplier of the processors.

Apple is expected to release five new ‌‌iPhone‌‌ models in 2020, including a so-called ‌‌iPhone‌ SE 2‌ with a 4.7-inch LCD display in the first half of 2020, followed by a higher-end all-OLED 5G lineup consisting of 5.4-inch, two 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch models in the second half of the year.

Apple will make a rare official appearance at next week's annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas where its HomeKit smart home system will take the limelight, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

With Amazon and Google expected to roll out new software capabilities for their internet-connected products and voice-activated smart platforms, Apple's own smart home system will also be on show.

Apple's HomeKit, a system for controlling devices in the home, will also be on display. Some companies will show off new gadgets for the home that work with Siri, Apple's digital assistant.

According to the report, the company isn't expected to release any new hardware at the trade show, but Apple executive Jane Horvath is scheduled to speak on a consumer privacy panel on January 7.

Ahead of last year's CES, Apple put up a giant sign in Las Vegas touting the security of its devices, and in 2018 some Apple employees reportedly met with potential augmented-reality glasses suppliers there, but otherwise it has traditionally chosen to stay away. Apple's presence at CES 2020 is the first time in decades that the company has attended in an official capacity.

Apple could launch a second version of the so-called iPhone SE 2 before the end of the year, according to DigiTimes. The latest prediction from the hit-and-miss industry publication is said to come from sources in Taiwan's supply chain.

The latest news coming from the supply chain is that Apple is likely to add yet another LCD-based model to its iPhone lineup for 2020. This new member will be an upgraded version of the widely speculated iPhone SE2 featuring a 5.5- or 6.1-inch LCD display and available at the end of 2020 or in earlier 2021, said the sources.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects Apple to release five new ‌iPhone‌ models in 2020 – a so-called ‌iPhone‌ SE 2 with a 4.7-inch LCD display in the first half of 2020, followed by a higher-end all-OLED lineup consisting of 5.4-inch, two 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch models in the second half of the year.

However, some supply chain makers at ‌iPhone‌'s assembly partners claim to have received roadmaps showing production of "six items" of iPhones, claims DigiTimes. According to the report, Taiwan-based driver-IC backend firm Chipbond Technology is said to have landed COF packaging orders from Apple for both LCD devices.

The initial model of the so-called ‌iPhone‌ SE 2 is expected to resemble the ‌iPhone‌ 8, including a 4.7-inch display with bezels and a Touch ID home button, but with a faster A13 chip and 3GB of RAM. The device will continue to have a single-lens rear camera, according to Kuo, like the original ‌iPhone‌ SE and the ‌iPhone‌ 8. Similar to ‌DigiTimes‌, Kuo believes that a larger "‌iPhone‌ SE 2 Plus" is also in the works, but he predicts it won't arrive until 2021.

Imagination Technologies announced on Thursday that Apple has replaced a licensing agreement with the British chipmaker for access to its intellectual property in exchange for license fees.

In a brief statement on its website, the U.K. firm said that the substitute multi-use license agreement, first announced in February 2014, would allow Apple access to a "wider range" of Imagination's IP.

London, UK; 2nd January 2020 – Imagination Technologies ("Imagination") announces that it has replaced the multi-year, multi-use license agreement with Apple, first announced on February 6, 2014, with a new multi-year license agreement under which Apple has access to a wider range of Imagination's intellectual property in exchange for license fees.

The development marks a dramatic shift in relations between the two companies following three years of discord, beginning in April 2017 when Apple told the chipmaker that it planned to stop using its graphics technology in iOS devices within two years.

Imagination relied on Apple for up to half of its revenue and saw its shares fall by 60 percent on the news of Apple's plans. Imagination also publicly criticized Apple, claiming that it doubted the tech giant could go it alone without violating Imagination's patents, IP, and confidential information.

After entering a "dispute resolution procedure" with the company, Imagination accused Apple of unauthorized use of its IP. Apple hit back by claiming that the firm had known for nearly two years that it was winding down the relationship, and was only revealing the separation after Apple had invoked a clause in its contract to pay lower royalty rates.

Imagination lost 70 percent of its value following the dispute with Apple, and despite a successful restructuring and a return to profitability for the company, put itself up for sale in June 2017. Imagination was bought by the Chinese-funded private equity firm Canyon Bridge in November 2017.

In our What to Expect article that we shared yesterday, we covered everything that we're expecting to see from Apple based on current product rumors and historical release data.

New iPhones with 5G, OLED displays, and upgraded 3D triple-lens camera system with significant augmented reality improvements are in the works, Apple is working on updated Macs and iPads, and AirTags, an innovative new accessory for tracking lost devices, is on the horizon.

We could also see a lower-cost HomePod, new over-ear headphones, and there could perhaps be some surprises in store like an augmented reality headset or an ARM-based Mac, but those aren't sure bets for 2020 at this time. There are also some outlandish rumors, like folding iPhones and iPads, plus rumors about the Apple Car, virtual reality headsets, and other far off products continue to circulate.

We want to hear from the MacRumors community. What are you hoping to see Apple release in 2020?

Are there new features you're hoping Apple will bring in iOS 14 or macOS 10.16? New headphones? Updated Mac features? New additions to the iPhone lineup?

Let us know what you want to see in the comments, and make sure to check out our What to Expect article for a look at the current rumors. We'll learn more about Apple's 2020 product plans in the early months of the year, and as always, we'll be covering all Apple rumors in-depth here at MacRumors.

Our MacRumors forums are also a useful resource for discussing upcoming products and rumors, and with so many new products rumored for 2020, our forums are the place to be for discussions on what's coming.

Thank you to all of our readers and our forum members for making MacRumors the number one site for Apple news, rumors, and advice on the web. We wouldn't be here without you, and we look forward to another year of rumors in 2020. Happy New Year!