MacRumors

Foldable smartphones are the latest device trend, and companies that include Motorola and Samsung have released new foldable smartphones over the course of the last few weeks.

The first foldable smartphone from Samsung, the Galaxy Fold, had major durability issues that caused its launch to be delayed. Samsung's newest foldable device, the Galaxy Z Flip, seems to be faring a bit better so far, but there are some complaints about the build quality and problems with the display. The same is true of Motorola's latest smartphone, the RAZR.

Over the weekend, YouTuber JerryRigEverything tested the durability of the Galaxy Z Flip's display, which is made of a bendable "Ultra Thin Glass" for the first time rather than the plastic material used for the Galaxy Fold.

The testing suggests that the display of the Galaxy Z Flip scratches like plastic and isn't resistant to scratching or other damage. A fingernail on the display was able to make a permanent dent, which is concerning for a smartphone that costs $1,380.

In response to that video, Samsung told CNBC in a statement that the display should be "handled with care" and that it has the same protective layer used in the Galaxy Fold, which perhaps explains some of the scratching.

Another Samsung Galaxy Z Flip user on Twitter got his smartphone, opened the box, opened the phone, and then had it crack right down the middle. He suggests that it could have been due to cold weather.

Cracking at the fold was a problem that plagued the Galaxy Fold, and Samsung does warn against pressing hard on the screen and making sure there's nothing on the screen when it's folded closed, but a crack down the middle right out of the box is unexpected behavior.

The $1,500 Motorola RAZR, another foldable smartphone that came out in February, is also seeing durability issues. Ray Wong from Input over the weekend said that the site's Motorola RAZR has a display that's peeling apart just a week after it was purchased.

I'm too scared to even fold up the phone now because the more I close it the wider the spread gets. There's a long streak across the top of the bubble and at first glance, you might mistake it for a scratch. It's not a scratch; there's no physical damage on the surface of the lamination. It's literally the pixels splitting from the two layers.

The damage is more than just cosmetic - the touchscreen is broken and the warping on the surface makes touches and taps unresponsive. Wong isn't sure what caused the damage, but as with the Galaxy Z Flip crack, he speculates that it could be related to cold temperatures.

There have been a few rumors suggesting Apple is working on foldable display technology, but given the super high price points of foldable displays and the ongoing durability issues that have impacted every foldable smartphone to date, Apple may be planning to hold off on a foldable iPhone.

Apple in early February shared a patent for a foldable device with movable flaps to prevent the display from creasing, and that's the latest that we've heard about an Apple device with foldable display technology.

Interestingly, Apple has also separately patented a self-heating display for a foldable device to prevent damage in cold weather, which seems to be a significant issue for foldable devices at the current time.

Of course, Apple patents a lot of technologies that don't ever come to fruition, so whether or not these patents and other related patents hint at Apple's work on a foldable ‌iPhone‌ remains to be seen. At the current time, there are no rumors indicating a folding ‌iPhone‌ is something that we can expect to see in the near future, and certainly not in 2020. The 2020 iPhone lineup will be similar to the 2019 ‌iPhone‌ lineup, though Apple is planning to implement new technologies like 5G connectivity and 3D cameras.

Apple today released watchOS 6.1.3, the fifth update to the watchOS 6 operating system designed to run on modern Apple Watch models. watchOS 6.1.3 comes three weeks after the release of watchOS 6.1.2.

watchOS 6.1.3 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.

To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌iPhone‌.

The watchOS 6.1.3 update includes important bug fixes, addressing an issue that could prevent the irregular heart rhythm notification feature from working properly for Apple Watch owners in Iceland.

Apple has also released watchOS 5.3.5 for Apple Watch models not able to run watchOS 6 due to the use of an older ‌iPhone‌.

Ongoing delays from the coronavirus outbreak in China will likely cause Apple to miss its schedule for mass producing the low-cost iPhone, and inventories of existing models could remain low until April or longer, according to new information shared today by Japanese site Nikkei.

‌iPhone‌ suppliers, on average, are said to be operating at 30 to 50 percent capacity at the current time, and to ramp up to full production, hurdles that include labor shortages and transportation logistics need to be overcome.

Apple was planning to begin mass production on the upcoming low-cost ‌iPhone‌ in February, but sources that spoke to Nikkei said that meeting that target is "very challenging" and production could be delayed until March.

Current rumors have suggested Apple plans to unveil the new ‌iPhone‌ at an event that's set to take place in March, perhaps on March 31, with Apple then releasing the device on April 3. Though there are issues with production, multiple sources have said the new ‌iPhone‌ is still going to launch on time.

"The suppliers are doing their best to produce and ship the [cheaper] iPhone within four weeks. ...The delay can't be too long, otherwise it will affect the sales strategy of Apple's new products in the second half of this year," one of the people, who has direct knowledge of the matter, told Nikkei.

Apple was hoping to have its suppliers produce 80 million ‌iPhone‌ units in the first half of 2020, including 15 million low-cost iPhones, but the company's production plan is now uncertain. Apple yesterday said that it will not meet its revenue goals for the March quarter due to constrained ‌iPhone‌ supplies and low customer demand for Apple products in China amid the outbreak.

Factories in China are counting on having more employees back at work as soon as next Monday, when a quarantine period for those who returned from outside provinces will end. Travel logistics are said to be a "major headache" at the current time, as suppliers need to change truck drivers when crossing provincial borders due to quarantine requirements.

The coronavirus has infected more than 73,000 people, and there have been 1,870 deaths, primarily in China.

Apple Music has introduced a new UI for alternate albums in an effort to declutter artist pages and make it easier to find these albums. Now, when an alternate version of an album is available (a non-explicit version or a remaster, for example), it will be listed underneath the main album's track list (via MacStories).

This way, the "Albums" section on the artist's main ‌Apple Music‌ page is a bit more focused on their main studio albums and doesn't have clutter of deluxe editions, live albums, or explicit and non-explicit versions. This update does appear to be rolling out slowly, however, as some artist pages still have numerous versions listed under the "Albums" section.

To find if an album has the "Other Versions" list, simply open the album in ‌Apple Music‌, scroll down past the track list, and if there are alternate options you'll see them listed at the bottom of the page. If any of your friends have listened to the album, "Other Versions" will be stacked beneath "Friends Who Listened."

Apple has made quiet changes like this to its music streaming platform in the past, previously revamping artist pages with enlarged portraits and a shuffle all "play" button. More recently, the service gained a new "For You" tab layout that updates throughout the day with artists, songs, and moods that match various themes.

Yesterday, Apple also launched the "Replay 2020" playlist for its users, which will keep track of their most streamed songs throughout the year.

Shanghai-based manufacturing company Universal Scientific Industrial will begin supplying the system-in-package for Apple's upcoming Ultra Wideband item tracking tags in the second to third quarter of 2020, with shipments to reach tens of millions of units by the end of the year, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a research note with TF International Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said Universal Scientific Industrial will be the primary supplier of the system-in-package for the tags, fulfilling around 60 percent of orders. Similar to the one inside AirPods, the system-in-package would be a densely packed circuit board, and it would likely include the Apple-designed U1 chip for Ultra Wideband support.

"We believe that the ultra-wideband (UWB) tag will enhance the user experience of iOS's 'find' and augment reality (AR) applications by offering measurement functions in the short distance," wrote Kuo.

Last month, Kuo said the Ultra Wideband tag would be one of Apple's major new hardware products in the first half of 2020, but he has yet to provide a more specific release date for the accessory.

Multiple reports this week have indicated that a new lower-cost iPhone model and refreshed iPad Pro models with 3D sensing could debut as early as next month, possibly at an as-yet unannounced Apple event on Tuesday, March 31. It is certainly possible that the Ultra Wideband tags could also be unveiled at the March event, if one transpires, but the second to third quarter timeframe for system-in-package shipments leaves room for an announcement at WWDC 2020 in June as well.

It is worth noting that Apple has introduced many of its first-generation hardware products several months in advance of their release, including the original iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and HomePod, so whether the Ultra Wideband tags are announced in March or June, they might not ship until later in the year.

MacRumors uncovered evidence of Apple working on Tile-like item trackers in iOS 13 code last year, including an unreleased "Items" tab in the Find My app and a potential "AirTag" name for the small, circular tags.

Users would receive a notification when they are separated from a tagged item and, if necessary, they would be able to tap a button in the Find My app that would result in Apple's tag chiming. It would also be possible to disable notifications for "safe locations" such as a home or workplace.

Apple's tags will likely incorporate augmented reality. Last year, for example, MacRumors discovered that a 3D red balloon could help a user pinpoint a lost item after scanning a room with their iPhone. In his research note today, Kuo echoes that the Ultra Wideband tags will benefit augmented reality applications.

iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models are also equipped with an Apple-designed U1 chip with Ultra Wideband, which Apple's website says will lead to "amazing new capabilities," and AirTags will likely be one of them.

Bloomberg this morning reports that Apple's new low-cost iPhone is still on course for launch next month, despite the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on production, although new iPad Pro models originally scheduled for the first half of 2020 could yet face delays or constraints.

The [low-cost iPhone] is still on track to launch in March, though the plans are still fluid, according to people familiar with the matter. Apple has also been preparing updated iPad Pro models with a new camera system for the first half of 2020 and the virus may yet impose delays or constraints on those plans.

Bloomberg's sources don't conflict with noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's latest predictions for the new low-cost ‌iPhone‌, which is rumored to be based on the ‌iPhone‌ 8, but with upgraded internals. In a research note seen yesterday by MacRumors, Kuo reiterated his belief that the "‌iPhone‌ 9" or "‌‌iPhone‌ SE 2"‌ is still expected to launch in the first half of this year in spite of the impact of the viral outbreak on production.

Rumors have been pointing toward a significant ‌iPad Pro‌ update in the first half of this year, including a new triple-lens rear camera system supporting 3D sensing for immersive augmented reality experiences. Today's report also broadly aligns with claims made on Monday by DigiTimes that production on the new ‌iPad Pro‌ models has been slow to ramp up following the extended Lunar New Year holiday, although the Taiwan-based website maintains that launch of the new devices is still expected "around March."

Aside from potential delays, Apple's spring media events have often occurred in March, and the list of products with rumored imminent updates has pointed toward one of those spring events being held again this year. A report yesterday claimed that Apple plans to hold a media event at the very end of March, with Tuesday, March 31 being the most likely date. The launch of the new low-cost ‌iPhone‌ is said to follow on Friday, April 3.

In addition to the new low-cost ‌‌iPhone‌, rumors suggest Apple is planning to release an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro, while more outlying launch possibilities for the first half of 2020 include a MacBook Air update, Apple's Tile-like "AirTags" item trackers, and perhaps a wireless charging mat.

Over the last 48 hours, Apple Maps has expanded its transit directions coverage across Europe. Using the app, travelers in cities across France, Germany, Spain, and possibly other countries in the EU are now able to access departure times and transit routes for various modes of public transport including buses, trams, metro trains, and more.

Apple has yet to update its official list of locations for which Maps offers Transit data, possibly because some of the real-time information is still being deployed. There have been a few reports that some cities in the aforementioned countries are still displaying uneven transit coverage.

Google Maps has supported transit directions for several years now, but ‌‌Apple Maps‌‌ has been steadily catching up with detailed routing information in recent years.

Transit coverage began in 2015 with an initial rollout in Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, and China. Since then, Apple has expanded the feature to many other regions around the world.

(Thanks, Mauricio!)

Apple today issued an update on its financial guidance for the March quarter, announcing that the company will not meet its revenue goals due to the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic in China.

Our quarterly guidance issued on January 28, 2020 reflected the best information available at the time as well as our best estimates about the pace of return to work following the end of the extended Chinese New Year holiday on February 10. Work is starting to resume around the country, but we are experiencing a slower return to normal conditions than we had anticipated. As a result, we do not expect to meet the revenue guidance we provided for the March quarter due to two main factors.

Apple cites both constrained iPhone supplies worldwide and lower customer demand for Apple products in China as the main impacts on performance for the quarter.

On the ‌iPhone‌ supply side, Apple says all of its manufacturing partner facilities are located outside of the Hubei province epicenter for the epidemic and have reopened, the ramp-up to full production has been slower than expected.

As for customer demand in China, Apple says store closings and limited hours have significantly reduced customer traffic, although corporate offices and contact centers have reopened and online stores have remained open.

Apple says it is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide additional information on its quarterly earnings call in April. Apple also says it is more than doubling its previously announced donation to help in the public health fight against the Wuhan coronavirus.

Apple had predicted in its earnings release at the end of January that it would see revenue of $63–$67 billion for the March quarter, a somewhat wider guidance range than usual as Apple acknowledged the coronavirus situation was leading to some uncertainty, but it appears the impact will be even larger than Apple had accounted for.

Update 5:59 p.m.: Bloomberg has shared Tim Cook's memo to Apple employees addressing the situation:

Team,

The response to COVID-19 has touched the lives of so many in the Apple family, and I want to thank everyone for their dedication, empathy, understanding, and care. Today, we more than doubled our donation to support the historic and global health response.

Our paramount concern is with the people who make up Apple’s community of employees, partners, customers, and suppliers in China. I also want to recognize the many people across our teams who have been working around the clock to manage Apple’s global COVID-19 response with diligence and thoughtfulness.

Corporate offices and contact centers have reopened across China, and our stores are starting to reopen, but we are experiencing a slower return to normal conditions than we had anticipated. This afternoon, I shared this update with our community of shareholders and investors to note that we do not expect to meet the revenue guidance we provided for the March quarter. Outside of China, customer demand across our product and service categories has been strong to date and in line with our expectations. Apple is fundamentally strong, and this disruption to our business is only temporary.

Our first priority - now and always - is the health and safety of our employees, supply chain partners, customers, and the communities in which we operate. Our profound gratitude is with those on the front lines of confronting this public health emergency.

Tim

March is the most common month for Apple's spring media events, and the relatively long list of products with rumored imminent updates has pointed toward one of those spring events being held again this year.

A new report [Google Translate] from German site iPhone-ticker.de claims that Apple is planning to hold a media event at the very end of March, with Tuesday, March 31 being the most likely date. A launch of the new low-cost iPhone, variously dubbed the "‌iPhone‌ SE 2" or "‌iPhone‌ 9" in rumors, is said to follow on Friday, April 3.

In addition to the new low-cost ‌iPhone‌, rumors have indicated Apple is planning to release several other products in the next few months, including updated iPad Pro models and an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro. Wildcard rumors for the first half of 2020 also include a MacBook Air update, Apple's Tile-like "AirTags item trackers, and perhaps a wireless charging mat.

We've been hearing for some time that Apple is planning to launch a new low-cost iPhone based on the ‌iPhone‌ 8, but with upgraded internals. This device has been referred to in rumors as the "‌iPhone‌ SE 2" or "‌iPhone‌ 9," although concerns over the impact of the Wuhan coronavirus on production have raised some questions about timing for the launch.

In a new research note seen by MacRumors, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo briefly mentions that the ‌iPhone‌ SE 2 is still expected to launch in the first half of this year. The mention comes in a larger report about smartphone camera lens suppliers, with Kuo noting that the ‌iPhone‌ SE 2 will not include a 7-element plastic (7P) lens, and so will not contribute toward shipments of those advanced lenses.

Because Apple expects that the new iPhone SE2 released in 1H20 will not use a 7P lens, it will not help the 7P lens shipment momentum.

It's unsurprising that the ‌iPhone‌ SE 2 won't include a 7P lens, as the ‌iPhone‌ 8 includes a 6P rear camera lens. With Apple looking to keep pricing on the new phone as low as possible, it will almost certainly be reusing components wherever possible, with the exception of key performance-related components like the A-series chip, which is rumored to move from the A11 chip in the ‌iPhone‌ 8 to Apple's latest A13 chip.

A separate report today claims that an update to Apple's iPad Pro lineup is expected "around March," so it's possible we could see a media event next month for Apple to introduce several new products.