MacRumors

Apple is once again offering a 10 percent bonus when adding funds to your Apple ID account through April 3 in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, and select other countries.

The bonus can be applied once on up to $200 or €300 in Apple ID funds, which can be used towards purchases on the App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Books Store, an Apple Music or iCloud storage subscription, and so forth. If you add $100 to your account, for example, you will receive $110 during this promotion.

To add funds directly to your Apple ID, go to Settings > Your Name > iTunes & App Store and tap your Apple ID > View Apple ID. Sign in if necessary, tap "Add Funds to Apple ID," tap the amount that you want to add, and confirm your selection.

Sometime during all the launch hype of last week's new MacBook Air and iPad Pro, Apple quietly increased the prices of almost all Mac build-to-order options on its regional online stores outside the United States.

In Canada, Europe, Australia, and many parts of Asia, customers configuring any new ‌MacBook Air‌, MacBook Pro, iMac, ‌iMac‌ Pro, Mac Pro or Mac mini now face paying approximately 10 percent more for each component upgrade than they did prior to last Wednesday.

In the U.K. for example, when customizing a base configuration 2.3GHz 8-Core 16-inch MacBook Pro, upgrading to a 2.4GHz processor costs £200, where previously it cost £180.

Likewise, jumping from 16GB to 32GB of RAM now costs £400 (previously £360), bumping the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M GPU from 4GB to 8GB costs £100 (previously £90), and upgrading from 1TB storage to 2TB costs £400 (formerly £360).

Altogether, the hikes add an extra £110 to the price tag of this built-to-order 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ – a combined total of £3,899 rather than £3,789.

Apple didn't change the standard prices of its Mac base configurations, which is probably why the changes initially went under the radar. However, two eagle-eyed readers from the U.K. got in touch with MacRumors after the total cost of their custom Mac configs, which had been languishing in their online Apple Store bags for a time, suddenly changed overnight.

It's not clear what provoked Apple to raise BTO Mac prices for consumers outside the U.S., although fluctuations in exchange rates, supply constraints, and labor shortages can't be ruled out. Either way, the fact remains that processor, RAM, graphics, and storage upgrades selected during checkout cost around 10 percent more than they did this time last week.

(Thanks, Andy and Glen!)

Apple is rumored to be planning a high-end 6.7-inch iPhone model for release in 2020, and multiple reports have indicated that the device will feature multiple rear camera improvements, including larger sensors that capture more light for better image quality.

The latest word comes from noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who today said that the 6.7-inch iPhone will also feature sensor-shift image stabilization. In a research note with TF International Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo predicted that the technology will expand to two to three new iPhone models in 2021.

While details are slim, sensor-shift technology could bring image stabilization to the Ultra Wide lens on future iPhones, starting with the 6.7-inch model. iPhone 11 Pro models feature optical image stabilization for both photo and video, but only when using the Wide or Telephoto lenses. Sensor-shift technology would provide a solution for this, as the stabilization would apply to the camera sensor itself and not be dependant on any specific lens.

Sensor-shifting image stabilization could also result in better shots with attachable lens accessories like the OlloClip.

Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes also claimed that sensor-shift image stabilization technology is coming to the 6.7-inch iPhone this year, so there are now multiple sources backing this rumor. The report claimed the technology would also be available on a higher-end model of two 6.1-inch iPhones that are rumored for 2020, but as mentioned above, Kuo expects the feature to be limited to the 6.7-inch iPhone until next year.

The rumored 6.7-inch iPhone would have the largest display of any iPhone ever. The device is rumored to be slightly taller than the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Kuo today also predicted that at least one 2022 iPhone model will feature a periscope lens, which could allow for 5x optical zoom like Huawei's P30 Pro or even 10x optical zoom as is rumored for the device's P40 Pro successor. iPhones currently max out at 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. Optical zoom preserves the quality of a shot when zooming in, while digital zoom results in some blurriness.

Kuo claims the periscope lens will be designed by Apple in partnership with Taiwanese supplier Genius Electronic Optical.

Nearly a year after canceling its AirPower wireless charging mat, Apple has resumed development of the project, according to YouTuber and leaker Jon Prosser. However, there is no guarantee that the accessory will ever be released.

Prosser claims that Apple engineers are attempting to redesign the mat's charging coils to displace heat more effectively, adding that prototyping is underway. Apple only said that the AirPower failed to achieve its high standards, but rumors suggested that the mat experienced issues with heat management and interference.

AirPower would have been able to charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods case simultaneously, regardless of each device's position on the mat. The battery percentage of each device would have shown up on the iPhone's lock screen while charging.

Apple first previewed the ‌AirPower‌ in September 2017 at Steve Jobs Theater, shortly after introducing the iPhone X, and said that it would be released by the end of 2018. Apple failed to deliver on that promise and ultimately canceled the mat in March 2019. At the time, Apple said it remained "committed to push the wireless experience forward."

Prosser has shared accurate Google leaks in the past, but he has only recently pushed more into Apple rumors, so his track record is limited on that front.

A few months ago, well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo forecasted that one of Apple's major new hardware products in the first half of 2020 would include a "smaller wireless charging mat," but he did not provide any further details and that timeframe may have changed due to the ongoing pandemic. It is unclear if the mat would have AirPower branding.

Apple Books today sent out a push notification highlighting free books and audiobooks available to users for a limited time only. This appears to be U.S. only for now.

The push notification reads:

Enjoy a good book, on us
Explore free books, read-alongs for kids, cozy mysteries, and audiobooks for the whole family.

Upon tapping on the notification, users are brought to the Free Books page in the Apple Books Store. From there users can browse through several novels from various genres, explore a wide selection of audiobooks, or select a new book from Apple's 'First in a Series, Free' tab.

Apple is likely offering this promotion as people around the world remain in their homes amid the ongoing crisis. It is unclear as to how long this promotion will last, so it is definitely worth spending a few minutes to explore the many books and audiobooks while they're available for free.

Apple has lifted purchase limits previously imposed on iPhone, new iPad Pro, and new MacBook Air purchases made outside of China.

Apple this past week had set purchase limits across several of its products. For example, the new ‌MacBook Air‌ and Mac mini were limited to five orders per customer, the new ‌iPad Pro‌ was limited to two 11-inch models per customer and two 12.9-inch models per customer, and iPhones were limited to two of each model per customer.

Some purchase limits have yet to be lifted in China. Although China does not have any purchase limits on iPhones and the ‌Mac mini‌, there does still exist a limit of five ‌MacBook Air‌ orders per customer. Additionally, there exists a limit on the new ‌iPad Pro‌, however, it is unable to be ordered at this time as approval for the device in the country is still pending.

Apple yesterday published a new support document detailing fixes for an issue where the right side of a user's Mac screen may be distorted when running Windows 10.

Some Mac models with AMD Radeon graphics may be experiencing an issue where the right side of the screen flickers and is distorted when running Windows 10. On external displays, this distortion may affect the entire screen.

Alternately, the Windows 10 installer may say that the Mac isn't ready for this version of Windows 10 because it has an old AMD graphics driver.

To fix the problem, Apple encourages users to install updated AMD graphics drivers for Windows.

If updated AMD graphics drivers aren't yet available, Apple offers a workaround when using an external display by instructing users to reduce the resolution. Apple notes that, while this step should work on most external displays, it will not work on the Apple Pro Display XDR and the LG UltraFine 4K and 5K displays.

iPhone users who ask Siri about COVID-19 can now complete a questionnaire about their symptoms and potential exposure to the virus to better understand their health situation, as noted by CNBC. Apple says the answers are sourced from the CDC and U.S. Public Health Service, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Apple today also shared a COVID-19-related PSA from the White House Coronavirus Task Force in its App Store on iOS devices, as retweeted by Rene Ritchie.

The same PSA can also be watched on Apple.com.

Apple earlier said it is donating millions of masks for health professionals in the U.S. and Europe.

Apple plans to donate two million N95 respirator masks to hospitals in the United States, Vice President Mike Pence announced in a press briefing today. Apple has since elaborated on this announcement, noting that it is donating millions of masks for health professionals in the United States and Europe.

With personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies dwindling across the United States, hospitals are in dire need of masks, gowns, and more.

Apple has taken several initiatives to help combat the spread of COVID-19. It was recently announced that Apple would be closing Apple Stores until further notice and has committed $15 million to date for COVID-19 relief efforts. In addition, Apple Card customers are able to enroll in a program that will allow them to skip March payment without interest. It was also announced on Thursday that Apple has pledged a substantial donation to Italy's first responders and medical personnel.

Update: Apple CEO Tim Cook says Apple is donating millions of masks to health professionals in the United States and Europe.

Update 2: Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday said that Apple is donating over 9 million N95 masks to hospitals in the U.S.

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.

Brydge has released a short YouTube video showcasing its Brydge Pro+ Keyboard with trackpad support. This comes just days after Apple announced its own Magic Keyboard with designated trackpad alongside both the new iPad Pro and new MacBook Air.

In the video, Brydge highlights some of the capabilities of its new Brydge Pro+ keyboard. The major new feature is full trackpad support in iPadOS 13.4. The trackpad can be used for precise text editing, bringing up the Dock from any app with a three-finger tap, opening App Exposé with a two-finger swipe, and more.

Preorders for the keyboard are available now. It is priced starting at $199.99 for the 11-inch iPad Pro and $229.99 for the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌. Preorders placed today are currently showing an estimated mid-April shipping date.

Brydge is still gauging interest for a standalone multi-touch trackpad for the iPad Pro that remains listed as "coming soon."

Apple's Magic Keyboard is priced at $299 for the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ and $349 for the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌. It is slated to release sometime in May.

Apple has also announced that iPadOS 13.4 with trackpad support will be launching next Tuesday, March 24th.

In an internal document distributed to Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, obtained by MacRumors, Apple has acknowledged that some iOS 13 or iPadOS 13 users may experience issues with Personal Hotspot.

Apple has told Authorized Service Providers to expect customers who are unable to connect to a Personal Hotspot or experience frequent disconnection from one. Customers may also experience general issues with data performance.

Some users have been reporting problems with Personal Hotspot as far back as iOS 13.1.2.

As a temporary workaround, service providers have been instructed to toggle Personal Hotspot off, and then back on. This suggests that there is likely to be a fix in a future software update, but it is unclear if the issue has been resolved in iOS 13.4, and the latest GM release notes do not mention any Personal Hotspot fixes.

Apple recommends that customers keep their software up to date and said that this is not a hardware issue.

With no March media event in the works, Apple this week rolled out a number of product updates including updated iPad Pro models with dual cameras, a LiDAR scanner, and a Magic Keyboard accessory with trackpad.

On the Mac side, we got an updated MacBook Air and storage-bumped Mac mini models, as well as new Powerbeats earphones, so check out the video above and read on for all of our coverage on those topics and more.

New iPad Pro Announced With A12Z Bionic Chip, Magic Keyboard With Trackpad, LiDAR Scanner, Ultra Wide Camera, and More

March is a common month for new Apple products and this year has proven to be no exception. While the COVID-19 pandemic may have prevented it from hosting a media event, Apple this week introduced new iPad Pro models with a slightly faster A12Z Bionic chip, an Ultra Wide camera for 0.5x zoom, a LiDAR sensor for enhanced augmented reality, and more.

Apple also announced that a new Magic Keyboard case with backlit keys and a built-in trackpad will be available in May for 2018 and later iPad Pro models, turning the iPad Pro into a true Microsoft Surface competitor. To accommodate this, iPadOS 13.4 will be gaining trackpad support for all modern iPad models, with the software update set to be released March 24, and we've put together a video showing what that trackpad support will look like.

The new iPad Pro models reportedly also feature a U1 chip for Ultra Wideband support and 6GB of RAM.

New MacBook Air Announced With Magic Keyboard, Up to 2x Faster Performance, and Lower $999 Starting Price

Apple this week updated its MacBook Air lineup with faster 10th-generation Intel Core processors and graphics, a scissor switch Magic Keyboard, a lower starting price of $999, and more.

The new base model MacBook Air has a starting price of $999 with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM in the United States, which is $100 less for double the storage compared to the previous generation base model. Early reviews have praised the new keyboard, improved performance, and lower starting price.

Apple also announced that standard configurations of the Mac mini now come with double the storage capacity. The $799 configuration now comes with 256GB, while the $1,099 configuration features 512GB.

Apple Announces Updated Powerbeats Earbuds With H1 Chip, 15-Hour Battery Life and $150 Price Tag

Apple this week introduced new Powerbeats, available for $149.95 in black, white, and red.

The new Powerbeats feature the same Apple-designed H1 chip as the Powerbeats Pro and AirPods Pro, enabling hands-free "Hey Siri" voice commands, faster pairing with iOS devices, and more. The new Powerbeats also have up to 15 hours of battery life and a similar design as the Powerbeats Pro, but with a wire between each earpiece.

Apple released additional accessories this week, including iPhone cases, iPad cases, and Apple Watch bands in new spring colors.

Video: Recap of New iPad Pro, New MacBook Air, and More

On our YouTube channel, we shared a recap of all of Apple's announcements this week, including new iPad Pro and MacBook Air models and more.

We've also put together some tidbits about the devices, including the new iPad Pro supporting Wi-Fi 6 and the new MacBook Air supporting up to a 6K external display, including Apple's Pro Display XDR.

Apple Stores Now Closed Until Further Notice Amid COVID-19

Apple has announced that all of its retail stores outside of the Greater China region are closed "until further notice" due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Apple also said it is making a substantial donation to COVID-19 relief efforts in Italy, with the funds set to help first responders, medical personnel, and volunteers working to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country, which has the most confirmed cases in Europe.

Follow our COVID-19 roundup as Apple continues to respond to the pandemic.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

All of Apple's retail locations outside of Greater China are closed right now, and customers who left their devices for repair are unable to pick them up until the stores reopen, an Apple spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider.

Apple closed all of its stores on Saturday, March 14, but stayed open for a few extra days to allow customers to pick up devices ordered for in-store pickup or that were at the store for repair. There were, however, some people who weren't able to make it into stores to get their devices.

"We made every possible attempt to get people's products back to them," an Apple spokesperson said. "There certainly are people that, for whatever reason, did not pick up their products before we closed and their products are at our stores."

Apple's stores are closed "until further notice" with no specific reopening date, and an Apple spokesperson said there is no protocol in place for people to get their devices until the stores reopen. Apple originally planned to reopen on March 27, but later updated wording on its website with a less specific timeline.

Apple is working with customers who had their devices sent to a repair center to get them sent back to their homes rather than to retail stores for pickup.

The European Union has asked streaming services to temporarily reduce streaming quality to ease the strain on broadband networks caused by people working from home, a request that Netflix, YouTube, and now Apple TV+ have complied with.

Netflix cut streaming data bitrates yesterday, while YouTube reduced streaming quality this morning. According to 9to5Mac, ‌Apple TV‌+ streaming quality was recently lowered as well, resulting in lower resolution streams and heavily compressed content with visibly blocky artifacts.

9to5Mac says that the lowered quality is "very noticeable," especially on larger-sized television sets, and quite a departure from the 4K HDR content that Apple normally offers. Resolutions are said to be as low as 670 pixels tall.

Compared to other services like Netflix that have also lowered quality to save data, Apple's streaming quality is described as "particularly aggressive" and akin to the kind of quality one might expect from "streaming on a phone over a 3G network."

At the current time, streaming content providers have only been asked to lower streaming quality in Europe, so the lower streaming rates do not affect the United States and other countries. The United States has not called on streaming content providers to implement data reduction measures.

It's not clear how long Apple plans to stream with reduced quality and whether tweaks will be made for a better compromise between quality and data usage. Netflix has said that it will continue using the lower quality stream for the next 30 days.

Global smartphone shipments dropped an estimated 38 percent in February 2020, marking the biggest ever fall in the history of the worldwide smartphone market, according to new data shared today by Strategy Analytics.

Smartphone companies shipped an estimated 61.8 million units in February 2020, down from 99.2 million units in February 2019.

Smartphone demand in Asia dropped heavily in February, leading to a significant collapse in sales as lower demand in Asia dragged down shipments across the world. Some Asian factories were unable to manufacture smartphones due to quarantines and travel restrictions and customers were unable or unwilling to leave their homes to visit retail stores and buy new devices.

"February 2020 saw the biggest fall ever in the history of the worldwide smartphone market. Supply and demand of smartphones plunged in China, slumped across Asia, and slowed in the rest of the world. It is a period the smartphone industry will want to forget."

Strategy Analytics Senior Analyst Yiwen Wu said that though there are now signs of recovery in China, global smartphone shipments are expected to remain weak throughout March 2020 as many countries are still struggling with the coronavirus.

Apple Stores in several countries including the United States are closed for the time being, and millions of consumers are in lockdown or unable to shop for new devices.

Yiwen Wu, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, added, "Despite tentative signs of recovery in China, we expect global smartphone shipments overall to remain weak throughout March, 2020. The coronavirus scare has spread to Europe, North America and elsewhere, and hundreds of millions of affluent consumers are in lockdown, unable or unwilling to shop for new devices. The smartphone industry will have to work harder than ever to lift sales in the coming weeks, such as online flash sales or generous discounts on bundling with hot products like smartwatches."

Apple in February said that its March quarter revenue will not meet its revenue goals, though we won't know how far below target Apple lands until its April earnings call.