Apple is featuring a mobile website that allows visitors to interact with the 2018 iPad Pro, "the biggest change to iPad since iPad," according to the interactive website's banner (via Reddit). The page features four tabs revolving around the biggest features of the new iPad Pro: screen size, Face ID, thinner design, and new Apple Pencil.
The site starts out displaying an older model iPad Pro with a Home button and large top and bottom bezels, but a tap on the screen swaps this model out with the 11-inch 2018 iPad Pro. These models have much thinner bezels and no Home button.
To unlock the new iPad Pro, users implement a swipe up motion, much like iPhone X family devices. There's also Face ID to secure the iPad Pro, and the second tab on the new website allows users to simulate this unlocking process by swiping up on the tablet's screen.
The third tab lets visitors tilt their iPhone or iPad to see new angles of the 2018 iPad Pro and its thin design, while the final tab instructs users to swipe and attach the Apple Pencil magnetically to the side of the tablet. From here, customers can tap "Learn more" to watch videos, read more details, and purchase an iPad Pro on Apple's website.
The iPad Pro micro-site follows in the footsteps of a similar website that Apple debuted for the iPhone XS and XS Max last September.
You can check out the website for yourself by following this link on the mobile version of Safari or Chrome.
Apple continues to aggressively market the iPhone XR, with one of its latest tactics being customized emails to owners of older iPhone models with a trade-in value of the older device and a tech specs comparison with the iPhone XR.
An email sent to an iPhone 6 Plus user, for example, advertises Apple's limited-time $200 trade-in offer for that device towards the purchase of an iPhone XR in the United States. The email also states that the iPhone XR is up to three times faster than the iPhone 6 Plus and compares other features.
Apple appears to have started sending out these emails late last year, but we saw several mentions of the campaign on Reddit and Twitter today, suggesting that Apple may have sent out a second wave of emails to additional customers.
Apple issued a rare revenue downgrade of up to $9 billion for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year, a move that it attributed entirely to fewer iPhone upgrades than it anticipated, primarily in the Greater China region. Apple believes simplifying its process of trading in a phone is one way it can improve its results.
When it launched, Apple's HomePod smart speaker did not count toward an Apple Music subscription's device streaming limit. This meant that single-user Apple Music subscribers could stream one song on an iOS device and another on HomePod simultaneously, without one stream ending the other. Recently, this ability has disappeared for many Apple Music users, who are now unable to stream music on both HomePod and an iOS device at the same time.
While single memberships transition to this method of HomePod streaming, Apple Music family memberships will be able to continue to stream multiple songs on both iOS devices and HomePod without any of the streams getting interrupted. Moreover, when HomePod interrupts music streaming on an iPhone, a new pop-up box on iOS displays an option for single membership subscribers to upgrade to an Apple Music family plan. The box explains that up to 5 other people can stream their music at once using the family plan.
According to a tipster, posts on Reddit, and a few accounts on the MacRumors forums dating back to last summer, the timeline for this change is murky. As far back as August 2018, MacRumors user cczhu mentioned not being able to play music on both HomePod and Apple TV simultaneously. Similar experiences were shared later in the year, with HomePod counting towards an account's device streaming limit when playing Apple Music on other Apple products, and now it appears that this tweak has hit many more users.
Over the weekend, a few users on r/HomePod posted similar stories. According to Reddit user veteran_t, on Saturday they noticed music playing on their iPhone paused a playlist on their HomePod. Deciding to speak with Apple Support, a senior specialist told the user that any claims about HomePod not counting toward an Apple Music subscription's device streaming limit are third party quotes. The specialist continued by saying Apple never advertised this feature and that veteran_t's HomePod is now working in the originally intended way.
YouTube updated its iOS app over the weekend with native support for the layout and resolutions of the latest 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro displays, but as noted on Twitter and Reddit, the home indicator now overlaps the bottom menu bar.
Two steps forward, one step backward for now, but hopefully Google addresses this issue in a subsequent update to the app. On the iPhone X and newer, the menu bar is positioned slightly higher as to not overlap with the home indicator.
Spotify also recently updated its iOS and watchOS apps with native support for the 2018 iPad Pro, iPhone XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4.
Update: YouTube has fixed the menu bar issue in a February 2 update.
Apple Pay will launch in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in late February to early March, according to Seznam Zprávy and Živé.
Czech Republic's two largest banks Česká spořitelna and Komerční banka, along with mBank, MONETA, and Air Bank, will reportedly be among the first financial institutions to offer Apple Pay to customers in the Czech Republic. Equa Bank and Banka CREDITAS may follow suit within the first half of the year.
Apple Pay first launched in the United States in October 2014 and has since expanded to many regions, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Belgium, China, Singapore, Switzerland, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Russia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland, Ireland, and Ukraine.
Ideally, all you need to do is put your AirPods in your ears, click the Bluetooth icon in your Mac's menu bar, select your AirPods from the dropdown list, and click Connect.
If you don't see your AirPods in the Bluetooth menu, you can pair them manually with your Mac in the following way.
How to Connect AirPods to Mac
On your Mac, launch System Preferences from the Apple menu bar ( -> System Preferences...).
Click the Bluetooth pane.
Make sure Bluetooth is turned on.
With your AirPods in their charging case, open the lid.
Press and hold the button on the back of the charging case until the status light between the AirPods flashes white.
Select your AirPods in the Bluetooth devices list and click Connect.
Next time you want to use your AirPods with your Mac, place them in your ears and they should automatically pair. If they don't (if they pair with your nearby iPhone instead, for example) simply click the Bluetooth icon in your Mac's menu bar, select your AirPods in the dropdown list, and click Connect.
How to Customize AirPod Controls on a Mac
Apple AirPods support a number of gestural touch controls that you can customize, including the option to change tracks with a double tap.
All of these options can be accessed in the Settings app while the AirPods are connected to your iPhone or iPad. But you can also access them when your AirPods are connected to your Mac. Here's how:
On your Mac, launch System Preferences from the Apple menu bar ( -> System Preferences...).
Click the Bluetooth pane.
In the Bluetooth devices list, click the Options button next to your AirPods.
From this menu, you can enable or disable manual ear detection, choose to use the left or right AirPod microphone, and choose what happens when you double tap an AirPod.
Double-tap options include Siri, Play/Pause, Off, Next Track, and Previous Track. Note that you can also set different gestures for the left and the right AirPod.
Apple supplier Dialog Semiconductor reported on Monday that its projected sales for the fourth quarter of 2018 would be at the low end of its original target (via CNET).
The German chipmaker, whose partnership with Apple makes up around 75 percent of its revenue, said its preliminary revenue for Q4 2018 was approximately $431 million. That figure only just falls into the guidance range of $430 million to $470 million the company reported in October.
The news comes just two weeks after Apple lowered its own revenue guidance by up to $9 billion for the first quarter of its 2019 fiscal year.
Apple CEO Tim Cook offered up a number of explanations for the decline, including the timing of the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR launch compared to the timing of the iPhone X launch last year, a slowing Chinese economy, and the company's $29 battery replacement program, all of which led to fewer iPhone upgrades than expected.
Last October, Apple agreed to a business arrangement with Dialog to license its iPhone power management technology and transfer technical assets, in a deal worth $600 million. Dialog's shares rose as much as 34 percent on the news, their highest since 2002.
As part of the agreement, Apple acquired some of the Anglo-German chipmaker's assets and 300 of its R&D staff, or around 16 percent of Dialog's workforce. The deal represents a huge investment for Apple, which will take over Dialog facilities in Italy, Germany, and the U.K., expanding its chip research and development significantly across Europe. Subject to regulatory approval, the deal is expected to close in the first half of 2019.
The agreement followed a report earlier the same month claiming Apple would design its own power management chips as early as 2018, which came as a serious blow for Dialog, the exclusive designer of the current main power management chip for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch models.
Dialog's shares initially dropped on news of today's revenue projection, but then climbed in German trading, according to the Financial Times. The company was recently up 2.5 percent, cutting its 12-month loss to roughly 10 percent, said the paper.
UC San Diego Health recently sent an online survey to its first 425 patients who activated Apple Health Records in 2018, and among 132 respondents, 78 percent indicated that they were "satisfied with using the feature."
96 percent of respondents said they could "easily connect their mobile devices to the platform," and 90 percent said the "smartphone solution improved their understanding of their own health, facilitated conversations with their clinicians, or improved sharing of personal health information with friends and family."
Apple introduced the Health Records feature in iOS 11.3 in March 2018, allowing patients to view their medical records from multiple participating hospitals and clinics directly in the Health app on the iPhone, including allergies, vital signs, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, and procedures.
The journal submission cautions that, as with many new products and solutions, such enthusiasm is common from early adopters. The platform will need to "prove that it is useful, sustainable, scalable, and actually improves health outcomes," according to Christian Dameff, MD, UC San Diego Health.
As noted by CNBC's Christina Farr, hospitals have historically faced "major challenges" with getting patients to use electronic medical records because the technology "tends to be poorly designed and hard to use."
UC San Diego Health doctors believe three key developments may contribute to the success of Apple Health Records compared to earlier efforts like Google Health in 2008, including the ubiquity of mobile technology, the maturation of health data communications standards, and the widespread use of App Stores.
Apple today announced that its HomePod speaker launches in China and Hong Kong on Friday, January 18. It will be available for 2,799 yuan in China and HK$2,799 in Hong Kong from Apple.com, Apple Stores, and authorized resellers.
Apple had previously announced that the HomePod would launch in China and Hong Kong in early 2019 and now we know it will be later this week. Siri on the HomePod gained support for Cantonese and Mandarin in China and a Cantonese dialect in Hong Kong in a software update last month.
Apple's press release highlights how the HomePod can stream Apple Music genres such as Mandopop and Cantopop and other audio content from any AirPlay-supported apps, including QQ Music, DeDao, iHuman Story, Dragonfly FM, and Penguin FM in China, and Spotify, KKBOX, JOOX, and Podcast in Hong Kong.
Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller:
We're excited to bring HomePod to our customers in mainland China and Hong Kong markets. We can't wait for them to experience how great it sounds in their home, we think they are going to love it.
HomePod first launched in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia in February 2018, followed by Canada, France, and Germany in June 2018. And in October 2018, Apple made the speaker available in Spain and Mexico.
Apple's long-awaited wireless charging mat AirPower might finally be on the horizon if the latest rumor is to be believed.
Hong Kong website ChargerLAB cites a "credible source" within Apple's supply chain who claims Chinese manufacturer Luxshare Precision has started production of the AirPower. In a conversation on Chinese messaging app WeChat, the source adds he has heard the AirPower will be released soon.
Breaking: AirPower is finally coming. We just learned from credible source in supply chain that the manufacture Luxshare Precision has already started producing Apple AirPower wireless charging pad. Luxshare Precision is also the maker of Apple AirPods and USB-C cables. pic.twitter.com/UqgWIAh3sx
— ChargerLAB (@chargerlab) January 12, 2019
MacRumors translated the Chinese messages in the WeChat screenshot using the Google Translate app for photos on iPhone and they appear to be consistent with what ChargerLAB claims in its tweet.
Luxshare is a member of the Wireless Power Consortium behind the Qi standard and also assembles AirPods for Apple — and Lightning to USB-C cables, according to ChargerLAB. Reports had suggested Luxshare would be a primary supplier of the AirPower since as early as February 2017.
A few weeks ago, developer Steve Troughton-Smith said he's heard Apple may have overcome technical challenges with the AirPower and could move forward with a release. Those technical challenges included overheating and interference issues, according to Sonny Dickson, an occasional source of Apple leaks.
Where is AirPower? 🤷♂️ All I’ve been hearing is ‘they’ve finally fixed it’, so, if true, it could ship as a product whenever Apple wants. Hopefully alongside the smart battery case for the XS?
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) December 31, 2018
Back in October, in a research note obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple may launch the AirPower by early in the first quarter of 2019, suggesting that the accessory may be released soon.
AirPower is an oval-shaped mat that would be able to wirelessly charge multiple Apple devices at once, including the iPhone 8 and newer, Apple Watch Series 3 and newer, and AirPods when they are placed in the aforementioned wireless charging case that has been expected to launch alongside the mat.
Apple first previewed the AirPower at Steve Jobs Theater in September 2017, shortly after introducing the iPhone X, and indicated that it would be released at some point in 2018 in a press release. Apple failed to deliver on that promise, however, and hasn't commented on the AirPower for many months.
Update: In a follow-up tweet, ChargerLAB cites another source who claims a second Apple supplier Pegatron is set to begin mass production of the AirPower on January 21. The alleged Pegatron employee claims the AirPower has three layers of coils in an 8-7-7 configuration from bottom to top.
Apple AirPower: Another source claims Pegatron is set to start mass produce AirPower at Jan 21. Pegatron is also an Apple OEM in Asia. The company employee says AirPower has total three layers of coils in 8-7-7 configuration from bottom to top. pic.twitter.com/xsboO47PGR
— ChargerLAB (@chargerlab) January 12, 2019
Though designed for the iPhone, Apple's AirPods are also compatible with Android smartphones and tablets, so you can take advantage of Apple's wire-free tech even if you're an Android user or have both Android and Apple devices.
You do, of course, lose some bells and whistles like Apple's unique AirPods pairing features. AirPods work like any other Bluetooth headphones on an Android device, and there are ways to restore at least some of their functionality through Android apps.
AirPod Features That Don't Work on Android (Out of the Box)
When paired with an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac, the AirPods offer a rich set of features thanks to the W1 wireless chip in the first generation version or the H1 chip in the AirPods 2 or AirPods 3, the accelerometer and other sensors, and deep integration with Apple's devices.
Here's a list of AirPods features you lose out on when using the AirPods with Android:
Siri. On iPhone, you can press or tap to access Siri for doing things like changing songs, adjusting volume, or just asking simple questions. If you have AirPods 2 or 3, you can also use "Hey Siri" to activate Siri.
Customizing Double Tap. In the Settings app on an iOS device, you can change what the tap/press does. Options include accessing Siri, Play/Pause, Next Track, and Previous Track.
Automatic switching. AirPods are linked to an iCloud account for Apple users, which allows them to easily switch between using the AirPods with an iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac.
Simple setup. Pairing with an iOS device only requires opening the case near said device and following the quick setup steps.
Checking AirPods battery. On the iPhone and Apple Watch, you can ask Siri about the AirPods battery life or check it from the Today center on iPhone or the Control Center on Apple Watch. Luckily, there is a way to replace this functionality on Android with the AirBattery app or Assistant Trigger.
Automatic ear detection. On iPhone, when you remove an AirPod from your ear, it pauses whatever you're listening to until you put the AirPod back into your ear.
Single AirPod listening. Listening to music with a single AirPod is limited to iOS devices because it uses ear detection functionality. On Android, you need to have both AirPods out of the case for them to connect.
Spatial Audio. When paired with Apple devices, AirPods 3 (and AirPods Pro) offer Spatial Audio support for Apple Music, allowing for a more immersive listening experience that makes it sound like audio is coming from all around you.
AirPod Features That Work on Android
Out of the box, AirPods functionality on Android is quite limited, but the double tap or press feature works. When you double tap on one of the AirPods (or press on the Force Sensor on the stem with AirPods 3), it will play or pause the music. If you've customized your AirPods using an iOS device, next track and previous track gestures will also work, but Siri won't, nor will "Hey Siri" on AirPods 2 or AirPods 3 as that requires an Apple device.
One additional benefit to AirPods on Android -- Bluetooth connectivity distance. AirPods generally have a much longer Bluetooth range than other Bluetooth-enabled headphones, and this is true on both Android and iOS.
AirPods lose the rest of their unique functionality on Android, but there are a few Android apps that are designed to restore some of it, adding to what you can do with AirPods on Android.
How to Add Back Lost AirPod Functionality
AirBattery - AirBattery adds a feature that lets you see the charge level of your AirPods. It includes battery levels for the left AirPod, right AirPod, and charging case, much like the battery interface on iOS devices. It also has an experimental ear detection feature when used with Spotify, which can pause music when you remove an AirPod.
AssistantTrigger - AssistantTrigger also lets you see the battery level of your AirPods, and it also says it adds ear detection features. Most notably, it can be used to change the tap gestures, letting you set up Google Assistant to be triggered with a double tap.
How to Pair AirPods to an Android Smartphone
AirPods pair to an Android smartphone like any other Bluetooth device, but you there are some specific steps to follow.
Open up the AirPods case.
Go to the Bluetooth settings on your Android device.
On the AirPods case, hold the pairing button at the back.
Look for AirPods in the list of Bluetooth accessories and then tap the "Pair" button.
After tapping "Pair," the AirPods should successfully connect to your Android device.
Do AirPods Work on Android?
Even if you use Android devices exclusively, the AirPods are a great wire-free earbud option that outperform many other Bluetooth earbuds available for Android devices. If you have both Android and iOS devices, AirPods are a no brainer because you'll be able to use them on both devices with few tradeoffs if you download the appropriate Android apps.
Even without many of the bells and whistles available on iOS devices, AirPods have some attractive features that may appeal to Android users, though there are wire-free Android specific options that Android users might want to look at.
Many AirPods users find them to be quite comfortable and stable in the ears, with little risk of them falling out, and the battery life is absolutely appealing. Apple in 2021 introduced the AirPods 3, which have a more refined fit that's even more comfortable in the ears. AirPods have a charging case that provides 24 hours of battery life in a portable, compact form factor. The case is also easy to charge, so long as you have a Lightning cable.
There's one major reason that you might want to avoid AirPods on Android, and that's audio quality. Apple's AAC codec does not perform as well on Android as it does on the iPhone, so there may be degraded streaming on Android because of the way Android handles Bluetooth codecs.
AirPlay 2 and HomeKit functionality will be available on all of Vizio's 2016 4K UHD SmartCast Displays, the company recently confirmed on Twitter.
Vizio's Twitter account for support questions supplied the information in response to a question from a MacRumors reader.
Apple recently shared a list of all AirPlay 2-enabled television sets on its HomeKit website, but only 2017, 2018, and 2019 Vizio models are listed.
From Apple's list: - Vizio P-Series Quantum (2019 and 2018) - Vizio P-Series (2019, 2018 and 2017) - Vizio M-Series (2019, 2018 and 2017) - Vizio E-Series (2019, 2018 and 2017) - Vizio D-series (2019, 2018 and 2017)
2017 SmartCast models feature the same hardware as earlier 2016 models, which means the integration will work with 2016 TV sets as well.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We have confirmed that all 2016 4K UHD SmartCast Displays will support the Apple integration. -A
— VIZIO Support (@VIZIOsupport) January 8, 2019
Vizio is one of the only companies implementing AirPlay 2 support on older television sets. Sony, Samsung, and LG are also enabling HomeKit support, but only on 2018 and 2019 models.
Samsung, for example, will support HomeKit on its 4 to 8 series TVs from 2018 and 2019, while LG and Sony are limiting the feature to new 2019 models.
Apple is United Airlines' biggest customer at the San Francisco International Airport, according to signs the airline has available that were shared on Twitter today.
According to United, Apple spends $150 million on airline tickets each year, and purchases 50 business class seats on flights to Shanghai every day.
Apple has many suppliers in China, which explains why the company sends so many employees to the Shanghai Pudong Airport.
Apple spends $35 million each year on flights from SFO to Shanghai, which is the number one flight the company purchases. Other routes are also popular, with Apple employees flying between these top 10 locations frequently:
1. Shanghai (PVG) 2. Hong Kong (HKG) 3. Taipei (TPE) 4. London (LHR) 5. South Korea (ICN) 6. Singapore (SIN) 7. Munich (MUC) 8. Tokyo (HND) 9. Beijing (PEK) 10. Israel (TLV)
Apple has more than 130,000 employees across its retail and corporate locations, and its headquarters is located in Cupertino, California. The San Francisco International Airport, located near Millbrae, California and south of San Francisco, is the closest major airport for international flights.
This statistic accounts solely for the flights taken from SFO. Apple has campuses in other locations around the world, and the San Jose International Airport is also nearby, so this is likely just a fraction of the airline travel that Apple funds.
As The Verge's Nilay Patel points out, statistics like these are a reminder of the huge number of employees that Apple has working behind the scenes on the devices that we use every day.
Apple is by far the biggest United airline customer in the Bay Area, and its $150 million spending total far outranks Facebook, Roche, and Google, companies that each spend over $34 million on United flights annually.
If the rumor proves to be accurate and depending on the implementation, there are several potential advantages of the third lens, including advanced 3D sensing, increased optical zoom, improved low-light performance, and improved photo quality in general thanks to the collection of more light and color data.
Advanced 3D Sensing
Apple has repeatedly expressed a profound interest in augmented reality. The release of ARKit instantly made augmented reality accessible to hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads, but Apple is just getting started in this area.
A third lens would likely result in significantly improved 3D spatial recognition on the iPhone, with a report last year suggesting that the rear-facing sensing capabilities will be even more advanced than the front-facing TrueDepth system on the iPhone X. This would open the door to several augmented reality use cases.
The same report claimed the triple-lens camera array will be capable of stereoscopic imaging, in which two of the sensors would be able to capture images of a single object from different angles. A triangulation method would then be used to obtain the distance between the iPhone and the object.
Back in 2017, Bloomberg News reported that Apple aimed to include rear-facing 3D sensing capabilities in its 2019 iPhones. But, at the time, the report said Apple was evaluating a time-of-flight approach that calculates the time it takes for a laser to bounce off surrounding objects to create a 3D image of the environment.
Whichever implementation Apple uses, the third lens would no doubt improve the iPhone's augmented reality capabilities. And that, in turn, could lay the foundation for the rumored launch of augmented reality Apple Glasses in 2020.
Increased Optical Zoom
A third lens would likely enable 3x optical zoom on an iPhone for the first time, enabling users to magnify the image in the viewfinder by up to 3x without a blurry reduction in quality like digital zoom.
By comparison, the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max feature 2x optical zoom.
Huawei P20 Pro
Huawei's P20 Pro smartphone was the first with a triple-lens rear camera system, including a 40-megapixel lens, a 20-megapixel monochrome lens, and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.
Improved Low-Light Performance
A third lens on the iPhone, if a traditional sensor, would draw in additional light for improved low-light performance.
Apple is certainly heavily invested in computational photography. On the latest iPhones, for example, Smart HDR results in photos with more highlight and shadow detail, while Depth Control significantly improves Portrait Mode.
Google's new "Night Sight" mode on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL sets the bar for low-light photos, however, by using machine learning to choose the right colors based on the content of the image. The result is much brighter photos in low-light conditions, without having to use the camera flash.
With a third lens, and improved machine learning, perhaps Apple can come out with a feature to rival Night Sight in 2019.
Qualcomm, Apple, and other suppliers are in court this week as Qualcomm faces off with the FTC over an antitrust lawsuit accusing the company of using anticompetitive tactics to remain the main supplier for baseband processor for smartphones.
Several Apple witnesses are testifying during the trial, which has led to the leak of some interesting, previously unknown information.
Apple supply chain executive Tony Blevins today said (via Reuters) that Apple considered purchasing 5G LTE modems from companies that include Samsung, MediaTek, and Intel for use in its 2019 iPhone lineup.
Qualcomm was Apple's sole supplier for iPhone modems from the period between 2011 and 2016, with that exclusivity ending in 2016 with the launch of the iPhone 7.
With the iPhone 7, Apple split modem orders between Qualcomm and Intel and then later phased Qualcomm out all together. Apple's most recent iPhones use modems exclusively from Intel, but today's testimony suggests Apple is working on diversifying its modem supply.
According to Blevins, during the period when Apple used only Qualcomm chips, Apple had wanted to use chips from other suppliers as well but signed an exclusivity agreement with Qualcomm because Qualcomm offered deep rebates on patent licenses to discourage Apple from diversifying.
In 2013, for example, Apple ended a plan to have Intel supply modems for the iPad mini 2 because Apple would lose Qualcomm rebates by using Intel's chips. This, said Blevins, made Intel's products "economically unattractive."
After Apple finally swapped over to multiple modem suppliers in 2016 and 2017, its legal woes with Qualcomm affected the relationship between the two companies "in a very profound and negative manner," which led to Apple using Intel chips exclusively.
Apple never wanted Intel as a sole supplier, however, and has always wanted to work with multiple companies.
"The entire concept of Project Antique was to find a second supplier. No offense to [Intel] but we don't want to be single supplier with them. We wanted both Qualcomm and [Intel] in the mix," Blevins said.
While Blevins mentioned 5G modem suppliers, he did not conclusively say whether or not Apple had decided on a 5G modem supplier nor whether a 5G modem is planned for the 2019 iPhone lineup.
Rumors have suggested that Apple does not plan to introduce support for 5G in its iPhone lineup in 2019, with the company planning to hold off on 5G technology until at least 2020.
Apple Music today debuted a new exclusive special feature that takes a look behind the scenes of the Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody." The 16-minute feature is called "Rami Malek: Becoming Freddie," and it focuses on the transformation that actor Rami Malek went through to portray the Queen lead vocalist Freddie Mercury.
Apple Music gained the special feature ahead of its release as an iTunes Extra in the upcoming full release of Bohemian Rhapsody, which is expected to hit digital retailers on January 22.
The featurette titled "Rami Malek: Becoming Freddie” is a fascinating 16-minute clip that gives fans a deeper understanding of Malek’s commitment to authenticity when portraying one of the greatest rock-n-rollers of all time.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Mous to give MacRumors readers a chance to win an iPhone case and an iPhone case accessory from the company's Limitless 2.0 product line.
Priced from $39.99 to $59.99, the Limitless 2.0 cases feature a protective shell made from a high impact "AiroShock" material, TPU, and Polycarbonate. The AiroShock interior of the case is outfitted with thousands of micro air pockets that are designed to act like a spring in the event of a fall, minimizing the impact damage.
Each case features a rear panel made from unique materials, with carbon fiber, walnut, leather, bamboo, and shell available as options.
The Limitless 2.0 cases are designed to be rigid and fit tightly onto the iPhone, which offers better protection against drops that end up with the phone face down.
In addition to these protective features, the Limitless iPhone cases can be expanded with add-on accessories. Each case has little magnets inside that work with modular accessories also available from Mous.
There are a number of available add-on options that expand the functionality of the Mous cases. Vent Mounts and Flex Mounts, for example, let you position a mount anywhere that you might need it, while a magnetic Card Wallet provides a way to store your credit cards and ID.
There's even an add-on Flip Wallet with more storage space and a folio-style cover for the iPhone, and a Wall Mount that lets you stick your iPhone anywhere. Accessories range in price from $20 to $25.
Despite the magnets included for accessories, Mous cases continue to support Qi-based wireless charging. All of Mous' cases also ship with a free triple-layered screen protector that also offers additional iPhone protection.
Limitless 2.0 cases are available for the iPhone 6, iPhone 7, and iPhone 8 along with Plus models, and there are versions for the newest iPhones, including the iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. MacRumors readers can get a 15 percent discount on all purchases made from the Mous website using the promo code Mousrumors.
We have 10 of the Mous cases to give away to MacRumors readers, and each one will come with an accessory of the winner's choice. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (January 11) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on January 18. The winners will be chosen randomly on January 18 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Apple's upcoming 2019 iPhones could feature support for Wi-Fi 6, Barclays analyst Blaine Curtis said today in a CES wrap-up report.
Wi-Fi 6, otherwise known as 802.11ax, is the next-generation Wi-Fi standard following 802.11ac.
The new standard brings higher data rates, increased capacity, better performance in dense environments like concerts and sporting events, and improved power efficiency to better conserve battery on smartphones, tablets, and other battery-powered devices.
Set to be finalized in 2019, Wi-Fi 6 will also be beneficial to homes that have many internet connected smart products.
Many Wi-Fi 6 products were shown off at the Consumer Electronics show this year, including Netgear's new 802.11ax mesh Wi-Fi system.
Apple was one of the first device manufacturers to adopt 802.11ac well ahead of when it was finalized in December 2013, so the company is known to be an early adopter of new Wi-Fi technologies. There aren't a whole lot of 802.11ax routers available at the current time, but many more will likely debut next year.
5G connectivity is also on the horizon, but rumors indicate that Apple won't adopt it right away because it requires carrier implementation and may have issues during its early rollout. Apple is slower to adopt new cellular technologies and didn't implement support for 4G LTE until the iPhone 5 debuted in September 2012, even though other smartphone manufacturers began supporting it in late 2010.
Apple's 2019 iPhone lineup is expected to look similar to the 2018 iPhone lineup, with two OLED devices in different sizes and a single, lower-cost LCD device. It's likely Apple plans to introduce the faster specification in all three of its iPhones, though not guaranteed as it looks like the devices will have different feature sets.
Recent rumors have suggested the highest-end device, the successor to the current iPhone XS Max, will feature a triple-lens rear camera, while the smaller OLED iPhone and LCD iPhone could have dual-lens camera setups.
We have a ways to go until the 2019 iPhones are released in the fall, but we've been hearing rumors about the devices for months. For more information, make sure to check out our 2019 iPhone roundup.
