MacRumors

Google may have only just announced its Pixel 3a and 3a XL smartphones, but rumors about this year's forthcoming Pixel 4 are already appearing, and the latest alleged leak suggests the search giant's redesigned handset will lack physical buttons.

This information has been shared by Jon Prosser's Front Page Tech YouTube channel, which last year was the source of several accurate details about the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL over a month before they launched, and also confirmed the Pixel 3a devices' existence before they were formally announced.

According to Prosser's source, the Pixel 4 will use capacitive touch areas on the sides of the aluminum handset in lieu of clickable physical power and volume buttons. Prosser suggests these touch-sensitive areas may use an extended version of Google's existing Active Edge technology currently found in the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 that lets users squeeze their phone to launch Google Assistant or silence incoming calls and notifications.

In addition, Prosser's source corroborates other recent rumors, including the presence of punch-hole front cameras embedded in the display – akin to those seen in Samsung's Galaxy 10 Plus and other smartphones this year – and either an optical or ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor.

The rear of the device is expected to feature a new dual-lens camera setup including either a telephoto zoom or super-wide-angle sensor, and they may be aligned horizontally in the upper left corner of the handset rather than the more typical vertical orientation seen on other dual-lens smartphones.

The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are expected to be 4G LTE devices and will likely be announced during the second week of October – or just a few weeks after Apple is expected to launch its flagship successors to the iPhone XS, ‌iPhone‌ XS Max, and ‌iPhone‌ XR.

(Via PhoneArena.com)

Apple today shared a new "Behind the Music" ad in the United Kingdom that promotes music-making on the Mac with portraits of artists.

"From bedroom studio to stadium tour, the British music scene is alive," the video description says. "See the emerging and the iconic, the graft and the glory, a glimpse behind the scenes and behind the music."

The ad is accompanied by a new page on Apple's website that says "Mac is the instrument of choice for musicians everywhere." The page highlights Apple's music software, including GarageBand, Logic Pro X, and MainStage 3.

The ad is part of Apple's larger "Behind the Mac" campaign launched last year.

Apple's estimated U.S. iPhone installed base saw little growth in the first calendar quarter of (second fiscal quarter) of 2019, according to new data shared today by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).

As of March 30, 2019, the U.S. ‌iPhone‌ use base hit 193 million units, compared to 189 million units at the end of the December quarter, marking two percent growth quarter over quarter.

Apple's ‌iPhone‌ user base was at 173 million units at the end of the March 2018 quarter, for year over year growth of 12 percent, which is not bad, but not quite hitting the growth rates of prior years.

A year ago, the installed ‌iPhone‌ user base in the U.S. grew four percent quarter over quarter and 19 percent compared to the prior year, indicating a plateau ‌iPhone‌ user base.

"The US installed base of iPhones continues to plateau," said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder. "Relative to the most recent quarters, and especially to the past two or three years, slowing unit sales and longer ownership periods means that the growth in the number of US iPhones has flattened considerably. Of course, 12% growth in a year, after years of much greater growth is still good. However, investors grew accustomed to quarterly growth of 5% or more, and annual growth of almost 20%. This continuing trend prompts investors to wonder if iPhone sales outside of the US will compensate, and places greater pressure on Apple's determination to sell other products and services to the installed base of iPhone owners."

CIRP's estimated U.S. ‌iPhone‌ installed base is based on estimated worldwide ‌iPhone‌ sales of 39 million, calculated from Apple's ‌iPhone‌ revenue and average ‌iPhone‌ selling price for the quarter ending in March 2019.

‌iPhone‌ sales have slowed down, and in January, the decline in sales over the holiday period led Apple to make the rare move of lowering its expected revenue guidance. Apple also saw a dip in revenue in the second fiscal quarter (first calendar quarter) of 2019, bringing in $58 billion, compared to $61.1 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Apple has never provided a specific breakdown of the number of active devices in the United States, but earlier this year, the company said there were 1.4 billion active devices around the world. 900 million of those devices are iPhones.

When iOS 12.3 and tvOS 12.3 launched earlier this week with the updated TV app that Apple first teased at its March event, Samsung also rolled out support for both AirPlay 2 and the new TV app, making it the first third-party company to launch these features.

We have a Samsung TV set (the 2018 Q6F) that's compatible with the new Apple offerings, so we thought we'd check them out to give MacRumors readers a look at how Apple features work on third-party television sets.

After installing a firmware update, Apple-compatible Samsung TV sets will have an Apple TV app, which is going to be unique to Samsung TVs for the foreseeable future. Other TV sets are gaining Apple features like ‌AirPlay‌ 2, but it's only Samsung that has a TV app option for now.

The TV app on a Samsung TV looks almost identical to the TV app on the ‌Apple TV‌, offering up a "Watch Now" feature that keeps track of the movies and the TV shows you're watching, plus content recommendations ranging from suggestions based on what you've watched to new content to trending content.

The "Channels" feature that's new to the TV app is available on Samsung TVs, allowing users to subscribe to services like HBO, Starz, Showtime, and more right within the TV app. Channels content can be watched right within the TV app without the need to open up another app.

There are dedicated sections for "Watch Now," Movies, TV Shows, Kids, Library, Search, and Settings, and the app offers up access to all of the iTunes content that you've previously purchased. You can also purchase or rent new movies within the app.

Apple content on the Samsung TV works with other Samsung Smart TV services, including the Universal Guide, Bixby, and Search.

Compatible Samsung TVs also now work with ‌AirPlay‌ 2, which means you can ‌AirPlay‌ content to them much like you would to a TV connected to an ‌Apple TV‌ set-top box.

You can ‌AirPlay‌ music to the TV, ‌AirPlay‌ content from apps like YouTube, or ‌AirPlay‌ TV shows and movies. ‌AirPlay‌ functionality works from within apps or through the Control Center where ‌AirPlay‌ options are located.

In our testing, the ‌Apple TV‌ and ‌AirPlay‌ 2 features on the Samsung TV set worked flawlessly, and were much like using an ‌Apple TV‌ set-top box. The experience was similar enough that it's easy to forget you're interacting with a Samsung Smart TV rather than an ‌Apple TV‌ box.

There are quite a few Samsung TVs from 2018 and 2019 that are compatible with ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and the TV app, with a list available below:

• Samsung FHD/HD 4, 5 Series (2018)
• Samsung QLED 4K Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9 Series (2018 & 2019)
• Samsung QLED 8K Q9 Series (2019)
• Samsung The Frame Series (2018 & 2019)
• Samsung The Serif Series (2019)
• Samsung UHD 6, 7, 8 Series (2018 & 2019)

These TV sets can access ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and the TV app right now, with a firmware update required on 2018 TV models.

Other TV manufacturers like Vizio, Sony, and LG are also implementing similar features and will begin supporting ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and HomeKit later this year. Vizio is already beta testing ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and ‌HomeKit‌ features, as demonstrated in the video below.

While Vizio, Sony, and LG all plan to support ‌HomeKit‌, which will let you use Siri voice commands and the Home app to control your TV, Samsung is not implementing this feature and Samsung TVs won't be an available option in the Home app.

Samsung has instead added the TV app, which Vizio, Sony, and LG have not announced support for.

Apple's former retail chief Angela Ahrendts, who left the company last month after five years, has joined Airbnb's board of directors.

In May 2018, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said that he planned to appoint at least one woman to the company's board, according to CNN. Ahrendts will be the second woman to join Airbnb's board after Ann Mather of Pixar and Disney last August.

"Angela has a reputation for pushing brands to dream big, and she told me that's exactly what she hopes to bring to Airbnb's Board," said Chesky.

Ahrendts reflected on her time at Apple in February:

The last five years have been the most stimulating, challenging and fulfilling of my career. Through the teams' collective efforts, Retail has never been stronger or better positioned to make an even greater contribution for Apple. I feel there is no better time to pass the baton to Deirdre, one of Apple's strongest executives. I look forward to watching how this amazing team, under her leadership, will continue to change the world one person and one community at a time.

Here's what Apple CEO Tim Cook had to say:

I want to thank Angela for inspiring and energizing our teams over the past five years. She has been a positive, transformative force, both for Apple's stores and the communities they serve. We all wish her the very best as she begins a new chapter.

Prior to joining Apple in 2014, Ahrendts was the CEO of famous fashion company Burberry, and before that, she held positions at Liz Claiborne and Donna Karan. Ahrendts joined Apple at a time when Apple was experimenting with luxury products, such as the $10,000-plus 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition.

Ahrendts was succeeded by longtime Apple executive Deirdre O'Brien, who now oversees both human resources and retail aspects of the company.

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, an event that promotes inclusion and access to technology for anyone with a disability. As it has over the past few years, Apple is marking the day by updating Apple.com in the United States and a few regions around the world with a message promoting accessibility: "Technology is most powerful when it empowers everyone."

On the Apple.com front page, visitors are encouraged to explore more accessibility features, which is linked to Apple's existing accessibility page. The page doesn't appear to have been updated yet this year; it highlights areas where Apple helps users with disabilities related to vision, hearing, physical and motor skills, learning, and literacy.

On the accessibility page, Apple highlights its short commercial from 2016 about real people with disabilities who use its products in everyday life, narrated by Sady Paulson, who uses Switch Control on a Mac. Otherwise the page showcases Apple accessibility features like VoiceOver, Live Listen, Switch Control, and more, with the help of products including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and HomePod.

In years past, Apple celebrated Global Accessibility Awareness Day with a series of "Designed for" videos that highlighted interviews conducted between CEO Tim Cook and three accessibility activists. Apple has also previously held a Stevie Wonder concert at One Infinite Loop and hosted global events promoting inclusive design at Apple corporate offices in Cupertino, Austin, Cork, and London. The company also usually holds accessibility-related Today at Apple sessions at its retail stores.

Update: Apple is also highlighting accessibility on the iOS App Store today, featuring stories about developers who build iOS apps to help people with disabilities.

The stories discuss apps like Proloquo2Go, Strava, Audible, djay, Ready to Roll, and more. They can be found on the "Today" tab on the ‌App Store‌ on ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌.

The company has also shared a new press release that focuses on California-based photographer Rachael Short, who takes fine art photographs exclusively using the ‌iPhone‌. Short suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident nine years ago, and now uses an ‌iPhone‌ XS to capture images. She used to carry multiple cameras and a variety of film around, but loves the mobility and ease-of-use the ‌iPhone‌ affords her after the accident.

“I couldn’t imagine being in my situation even 15 years ago without my iPhone,” Short says. “Technology has changed so much in that time. It just opens up so many possibilities for people with disabilities and limited mobility. It’s my camera, it’s my email, it’s my photo editing, it’s ‘Hey Siri, do stuff for me.’ It’s everything.”

Apple also confirmed that it is hosting events around the world to promote inclusive design and emphasize technology that works for everyone.

Apple has ranked third in the annual Fortune 500 list of the highest-revenue-generating companies based in the United States, with $265.5 billion revenue in fiscal 2018, trailing only Walmart and oil giant ExxonMobil.

Apple moved up one spot in this year's rankings, overtaking billionaire investor Warren Buffett's holding company Berkshire Hathaway.

Fortune's description of Apple:

Two thousand eighteen will be remembered as the year that Apple first achieved a market value of $1 trillion, as well as when growth in iPhones, Apple's largest single product by far, began to slow. Before the introduction of the iPod—the iPhone's precursor—Apple was a once-exciting computer maker. Now, only a retailer and an oil company are bigger. Its challenge: as consumers hang onto phones longer, Apple is repositioning itself as a services provider. Already iTunes, Apple Music, iCloud, and cuts from sales in its popular Apple Store generate billions of dollars of sales.

Apple has made the Fortune 500 list for 37 years and has now cracked the top 10 spots for seven consecutive years:

• 2019: 3rd
  

• 2018: 4th
  

• 2017: 3rd
  

• 2016: 3rd
  

• 2015: 5th
  

• 2014: 5th
  

• 2013: 6th
  

• 2012: 17th
  

• 2011: 35th
  

• 2010: 56th

Other notable technology companies in this year's Fortune 500 include Amazon in fifth, Google parent company Alphabet in 15th, and Microsoft in 26th.

Valve's Steam Link app, which is designed to let you play Steam games on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV has finally made its way to iOS and is available for download as of today.

Valve first announced the Steam Link app in May 2018 and planned to launch it soon after, but Apple ended up rejecting the app due to "business conflicts."

Though Valve argued that Steam Link was similar to other remote desktop-based apps that provide access to a PC or Mac, Apple refused to budge and did not allow Valve to release Steam Link until now.

Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller said in 2018 that Apple would continue to work with Valve to "bring the Steam experience to iOS and ‌Apple TV‌ in a way that complies with the [App Store] guidelines," and it appears the two companies were finally able to reach an agreement.

Valve said that it would remove the ability to purchase apps from within Steam Link in an effort to get Apple to approve the app, which may have allowed it onto the ‌App Store‌. When connecting Steam Link to a PC or Mac, the main view is of your library, aka the games you've already purchased, and there is no readily apparent option for purchasing content directly on your iOS device.

The new Steam Link app for iOS lets you play your Steam games on an ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, or ‌Apple TV‌ by streaming them from a Mac or PC. The Steam Link app essentially mirrors the content on your Mac or PC to your device. iOS 10 or later is required, and Valve recommends using 5GHz internet connections for the best performance. Games can be played using a Made for ‌iPhone‌ or Steam controller, and there are also touch screen control options that put virtual buttons on the screen.

Pairing an iOS device to a Mac or PC running Steam is a simple process. Your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ scans your network for a Mac or PC that has Steam installed, and pairing is done through a code. A bandwidth test is conducted to make sure there will be a smooth gameplay experience, and then additional drivers may need to be downloaded on your computer.

The Steam Link app brings desktop gaming to your iPhone or iPad. Just pair an MFI or Steam controller to your device, connect to a computer running Steam on the same local network, and start playing your existing Steam games.

Requirements:
- iPhone or iPad using iOS 10 or higher
- Computer running Steam - Windows, Mac, or Linux
- iOS device must be on the same local network as the computer running Steam

For best performance:
- Connect your computer using Ethernet to your 5Ghz WiFi router
- Connect your iOS device to the 5GHz band of your WiFi network
- Keep your iOS device within a reasonable range of your router

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