Apple Watch is the "clear market leader" in the burgeoning U.S. smartwatch market, according to a new report from consumer research firm The NPD Group.
Market data shows U.S. smartwatch sales showed strong growth in the 12 months ending November 2018 when compared to the same timeframe a year ago. Apple, Samsung, and Fitbit made up 88 percent of smartwatch unit sales in that time.
The report found dollar sales of the devices were up 51 percent, amounting to nearly $5 billion in sales, while unit sales experienced a 61 percent increase, indicating an impressive acceleration in demand for the wearables.
"Over the last 18 months smartwatch sales gained strong momentum, proving the naysayers, who didn't think the category could achieve mainstream acceptance, had potentially judged too soon," said Weston Henderek, director, industry analyst for NPD Connected Intelligence. "The ability to be truly connected via built-in LTE without the need to have a smartphone nearby proved to be a tipping point for consumers, as they now recognize the value in being able to complete a wide range of tasks on the device including receiving notifications, messaging, accessing smart home controls, and more."
According to the report, 16 percent of U.S. adults now own a smartwatch, which is up from 12 percent in December of 2017. Interest from the younger 18-34 age demographic is said to be responsible for the overall growth in the smartwatch market, but NPD analysts expect Apple Watch will continue to entice older consumers thanks to health features like Fall Detection and ECG and greater control over home automation.
Apple doesn't break out Apple Watch unit sales from its overall earnings. However in its recent earnings call for the first quarter of the 2019 fiscal year, CEO Tim Cook said the company's wearables revenue was being driven by the "amazing popularity" of Apple Watch and AirPods, and that the category alone was "approaching the size of a Fortune 200 company."
Apple has been testing Lexus SUVs equipped with its autonomous driving software out on the roads around Cupertino since April 2017, and for the first time, the company has filed a disengagement report with the DMV.
A disengagement report tracks the number of times an autonomous vehicle disengages and gives control back to a safety driver or the number of times the safety driver in the vehicle interferes. All of Apple's self-driving SUVs have safety drivers able to take over in the event of an emergency.
The DMV will be publishing the full reports later this week, but they appeared briefly on the website and The Last Driver License Holder was able to get a brief look at some of the data. The information covers the period from December 2017 to November 2018 for all companies operating self-driving vehicles in California, including Apple.
Image via The Last Driver License Holder
According to the data, Apple registered 871.65 disengagements per 1000 miles, with a disengagement approximately every 1.1 mile. For comparison's sake, Waymo, Google's autonomous vehicle arm, had 0.09 disengagements per 1000 miles with 11,154.3 miles per disengagement.
Apple's total number of disengagements was higher than any other company doing autonomous vehicle testing, suggesting Apple drivers need to take over for the self-driving vehicle more frequently than other companies as it works out kinks in the software. This could be because Apple is driving more challenging routes, Apple drivers are abundantly cautious, or it could be because its self-driving software is less evolved.
There are likely multiple factors at play when it comes to Apple's performance, and it's worth noting that Apple has not been testing self-driving vehicles for as long as other companies.
Disengagements are self-reported numbers and companies are able to take some liberties with how this data is reported and just what counts as a disengagement, so the data should be viewed with that in mind.
Image via The Last Driver License Holder
According to the data, Apple has 62 self-driving vehicles out on the road, though earlier reports have suggested that number is a little low. As of November, Apple reportedly had 72 vehicles on the road.
Apple's self-driving vehicles were involved in two minor collisions in 2018, one in August and one in October, though neither collision was Apple's fault. In the August collision, the vehicle was in self-driving mode, while in the October collision, it was in manual mode.
More detail on Apple's self-driving car performance will be available later this week when the full reports are released.
Our guide to upcoming products provides an overview of all of the new devices that we're expecting to see in 2025, based on the most current rumors.
The dates listed here are not always concrete, but we update this guide as new information comes out. The upcoming products guide is the go-to place to see all of the Apple products that are upcoming at a glance. For more information, make sure to click on the included links to visit our individual product roundups.
Early 2025
Apple's first product announcements could come in early 2025, and the MacBook Air is in particular is expected to see a launch in the very near future.
MacBook Air - Apple plans to refresh the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, updating them with M4 chips. Design changes are not expected, with the focus to be on the chip refresh.
Spring 2025
Apple is expected to introduce new products sometime around March or April, timed to launch ahead of when an iOS 18.4 update comes out. We are expecting a new low-cost iPhone, a refreshed low-cost iPad, and an M4 MacBook Air to launch in this timeframe.
iPhone SE 4 - The iPhone SE will see an update in 2025, and it is expected to feature a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, and an iPhone 14-like design. It will be the first Apple device with an Apple 5G modem.
Low-cost iPad - Apple is working on an 11th-generation iPad with a faster chip and support for Wi-Fi 6E. The tablet is also expected to feature Apple's custom-designed modem chip, an A17 Pro chip, and 8GB RAM.
iPad Air - The iPad Air is going to get updated with either an M3 or M4 chip, and it could debut alongside a new lower-cost Magic Keyboard that Apple is developing for the more affordable iPad models.
June 2025
Each June, Apple holds its annual Worldwide Developers Conference to introduce new versions of the software that runs on Apple devices. WWDC is always focused on new operating systems, but there are sometimes new hardware products as well. The Mac Studio could launch around the middle of the year, so it might see a WWDC debut.
Software
iOS 19 - iOS 19 will include additional Apple Intelligence features, like an LLM version of Siri that's much smarter.
iPadOS 19
macOS 16
tvOS 19
watchOS 12
visionOS 3
Hardware
Mac Studio - There are no design changes rumored for the Mac Studio, with updates focusing on new M4 chips and Thunderbolt 5. The Mac Studio is expected to use Apple's M4 Max and M4 Ultra chips, the latter of which has not yet been announced.
September 2025
Apple refreshes the iPhone and Apple Watch lineups each September, and this year we're expecting new iPhone 17 models, an Apple Watch 11, and new versions of the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra.
iPhone 17, iPhone 17 "Air" and iPhone 17 Pro - There won't be an iPhone 17 Plus this year, but Apple is introducing an iPhone 17 "Air," which will be the thinnest iPhone to date at around 6mm. It will be a middle option between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro, with a super thin chassis, a single-lens rear camera, and a 6.6-inch display. The iPhone 17 will have a dual-lens camera setup and will be Apple's most affordable model, while the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max could get some major changes in camera design. Apple may opt for a half-glass half-aluminum casing and a horizontal camera. All iPhone 17 models are expected to have ProMotion displays and A19 chips.
Apple Watch Series 11 - The 11th generation Apple Watch could be able to monitor for high blood pressure if Apple is able to get the feature completed in time.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 - The Apple Watch Ultra didn't get a 2024 update, but it will see a refresh in 2025. The new model could feature any new health capabilities that come to the Apple Watch Series 11, such as blood pressure monitoring, and it is also expected to get satellite connectivity for texting when off-grid.
Apple Watch SE - Apple didn't refresh the Apple Watch SE in 2024, and a new model won't be coming until 2025. The next Apple Watch SE is expected to feature a "new look" of some kind, which could be a colorful plastic casing. It will also get a faster S-series chip.
AirPods Pro 3 - The AirPods Pro will get a refresh in 2025, and Apple plans to introduce a new design. Better audio quality is expected, as is improvements to Active Noise Cancellation. There will be a new, faster H3 chip, and it's possible that health features like body temperature monitoring and heart rate monitoring could be included.
Late 2025
Later in 2025, Apple is expected to introduce high-end M4 chips in the Mac Studio and the Mac Pro.
Mac Pro - Apple plans to update the Mac Pro sometime in late 2025. It will be equipped with the highest-end version of the M4 chip, which is codenamed "Hidra," and it could be either an "Ultra" or "Extreme" M4 chip. The Mac Pro is also expected to support up to 512GB Unified Memory.
M5 MacBook Pro - Apple is working on an M5 MacBook Pro that could launch in 2025, and if it is coming this year, it will likely launch sometime around October or November. No changes are rumored except for the M5 chip, and it's not a good year to buy because OLED display technology is rumored for 2026.
Apple TV 4K - The Apple TV will get a new Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, along with a faster processor. No design changes are expected. The most recent rumors suggest the Apple TV will come toward the end of the year.
HomePod mini - Apple will refresh the HomePod mini in late 2025, adding a faster S-series chip and an Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. New color options are also likely.
Products With Unknown Release Dates
AirTag 2 - The AirTag 2 that's coming in 2025 could have a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for improved range, allowing the AirTag to be located from further away.
Smart Home Command Center - Rumors suggest Apple is working on a smart home display that would serve as a central hub for controlling smart home products. It will also run Apple apps, and it can be used for FaceTime calls. The Command Center was initially expected in the spring, but it might not launch until later in the year.
iPad Pro - Apple is working on a faster M5 chip that could come to the iPad Pro in either late 2025 or early 2026.
Vision Pro 2 - Rumors about the next Vision Pro have been unclear, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks Apple is coming to release a next-generatio version of the Vision Pro in 2025. Design changes aren't expected, but Apple will replace the M2 chip with an M5 chip.
Further in the Future
iMac Pro - Apple could introduce a larger 32-inch iMac, replacing the previously discontinued 27-inch iMac and iMac Pro at some point. Apple's plans continue to be unclear, and it's not clear if and when a larger iMac will see a launch.
New Display - There have been multiple rumors of a Pro Display XDR successor, but there's no word on when an update might come.
Foldable iPhone - Apple is allegedly working on a foldable iPhone that might be between 7.5 and 8 inches, with a launch date slated for 2027 at the earliest.
Foldable iPad/Mac - Before we ever get a foldable iPhone, Apple will introduce some kind of foldable notebook and perhaps a foldable iPad. Current rumors suggest that Apple is working on a 17-to-20-inch MacBook that has a foldable display, but it won't come out for several years yet.
2024 Product Refresh Timeline
We have a list of all the products that Apple released in 2024, which can be useful for predicting 2025 launch timelines.
Apple is planning to hold an event on March 25, its first of 2019, according to a new report from BuzzFeed. The event will reportedly take place at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus.
Apple will use the event to unveil its rumored news service, which will add paid subscription options to Apple News.
While Apple has many products in the works that are rumored to be debuting in the spring, BuzzFeed says not to expect the company to unveil a new iPad mini or second-generation AirPods, as their appearance at the event is "unlikely."
Instead, the event will be "subscription services focused," though it is unclear if it will also include details on the upcoming TV news service that Apple has in the works. That service is expected to launch as early as April, so it's certainly possible.
Recent rumors suggest Apple is planning to offer a $9.99 per month subscription for Apple News that would allow users unlimited access to paywalled content on sites like The New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.
Apple is, however, said to be still negotiating financial terms, as it is requesting 50 percent of revenue from the service, with the rest to be split among publications. News sites are said to be wary to enter into this deal with Apple due both to pricing issues and Apple's desire to control email addresses and credit card information.
There have been rumors suggesting that Apple will bundle the news service with iCloud storage tiers and its television service, providing all-in-one Apple services package, which could mean both the news and TV services will be introduced all at once. The news subscription service could also include magazines, as Apple is said to be working on a $9.99 per month service that would offer magazine access much like the Texture app that it acquired last year.
With the event reportedly focused on services, it sounds like we also won't be seeing an upgraded iPad, a new 7th-generation iPod touch, or the AirPower at the event, along with the lack of a new iPad mini and new AirPods.
If March isn't the planned launch target for these items, it's not known when we might see them. Apple could plan a second spring event, though it has never done so, or opt to introduce them later in the year at WWDC. Eventless launches are also a possibility, so Apple could release these products via press release without highlighting them at an event.
Apple has held events in March in 2015, 2016, and 2018, so it makes since that the company is planning a 2019 March event as well. There is always a chance that BuzzFeed is wrong and Apple will debut these new devices at the event, but the site often provides accurate information on Apple's plans.
There's nothing wrong with the stock Camera app that comes on every iPhone, but there are many third-party camera apps available in the App Store that add additional functionality, filters, and other effects that are worth checking out.
For our latest YouTube video, we asked MacRumors readers for their favorite camera apps, and compiled a list of the best and most popular options. If you're looking to take your iPhone photography up a notch, make sure to check these out.
Halide, priced at $5.99, was the top pick when we asked for preferred camera apps. More MacRumors readers chose it than any other camera app, which is no surprise because Halide offers a rich feature set.
Halide offers up full manual controls for shutter speed, ISO, and white balance, along with a live histogram for perfecting exposure. The swipe-based interface is easy to use, and you can capture photos in RAW, JPG, TIFF, or HEIC formats.
There are depth controls for newer iPhones, manual and autofocus tools, and for iPhone XR, there's a Depth Capture feature that works with pets, food, and other items, unlike the native Depth Control feature. Halide just added a new color histogram, which is a nifty option that lets you make sure you have the right exposure to preserve color detail and make colors pop. Halide has a new app coming out in the near future, so keep an eye out for that.
ProCam 6
ProCam 6, priced at $5.99, was also a popular choice with MacRumors readers. ProCam offers full manual control options for shutter speed, ISO, focus, and white balance, along with tap-based manual focus assist, built-in warnings for overexposure, and live values for metrics like ISO and shutter speed.
You can choose your video frame rate and resolution when taking video, or choose from multiple shooting modes like Night Mode, Burst Mode, Slow Shutter, and 3D Photos. Like most of the camera apps on this list, ProCam 6 lets you capture RAW, JPG, TIFF, and HEIF images, and there's a live light level histogram.
For editing after capturing a photo, ProCam 6 includes 60 filters, 17 lenses for fun effects, multiple adjustment tools, and video editing capabilities. There are custom profiles for saving your favorite shooting modes and camera settings, and Siri Shortcuts are supported.
Obscura 2
Priced at $4.99, Obscura has a simple swipe-based interface that puts the tools you need right at your fingertips, and it's ideal for one-handed use.
You can capture photos in RAW, HEIC, and JPG formats, take Live Photos, and capture images with depth on newer iPhones. There are tools for adjusting white balance, exposure, and focus, as well as ISO and shutter speed, plus there's a histogram for adjusting exposure.
There are 19 included filters available, which can be used in post processing or with live previews, and there are additional filter packs available for purchase in the app. Swiping down from the top of the app gives you access to your Photo Library, and swiping up on a selected photo shows all the metadata you might need to know.
Focos
Focos is a free download, but charges a fee for pro tools. It costs $0.99 per month or $11.99 for lifetime access. Focos offers full manual controls for capturing images, along with options for depth control, portraits, adjustable bokeh, and more.
You can import your Portrait Photos and adjust the bokeh (aka background blurring) effect, and there are options to simulate lens effects like creamy, bilinear, swirly, and reflex effects. There are also options to add lighting and edit depth maps.
Moment
Moment, like Focos, is a free download but requires a $4.99 purchase to unlock Pro tools. Moment offers options for manually adjusting exposure, ISO, shutter speed, focus, white balance, and image format, which lets you customize the look of your photos beyond what you can do with the stock Camera app.
RAW shooting is supported, as are HEIF and HEVC, Apple's newest photo and video formats, and there's a live histogram. Moment's app is designed to work with Moment's lenses, available separately on the Moment website, but it also works without them.
You have to pay for manual controls and advanced video tools, but it's worth the $4.99 if you want full control over how your iPhone photos turn out.
Conclusion
All of these camera apps are fantastic, but they're just a small sampling of the photography-oriented app options in the App Store. If we missed your favorite camera app, make sure to let us know which one you prefer in the comments.
Please feel free to share your favorite photo editing apps too, because we'll be covering that in an upcoming video and article.
Since debuting CarPlay in the 2017 Maxima, Nissan has been gradually expanding support for Apple's in-car platform throughout much of the carmaker's lineup, integrating with its NissanConnect infotainment system.
I've had an opportunity to spend some time testing out CarPlay and NissanConnect on a new 2019 Nissan Altima, one of the most popular midsize sedans on the market, and I've found it to be a solid combination.
For the redesigned Altima, Nissan is offering CarPlay standard across all trims, meaning that even the base model starting at $23,900 will support it. That's a welcome distinction from many other vehicles where a higher-level trim or a special package is needed in order to get CarPlay. Not all Nissans include CarPlay on the base trims, but the company tells me that it's moving in that direction and the Altima redesign for 2019 was a good opportunity to make it a priority.
My tester was an Altima SR with front-wheel drive, which represents the model's second-level trim and starts at $25,250. It includes a spacious 8-inch touchscreen display atop the center stack that's standard across the lineup. The SR trim does not include built-in navigation or more advanced NissanConnect subscription services, but it offers a good idea of what you can get at a relatively low-level trim that minimizes the hit to your pocketbook.
NissanConnect
The Altima comes with a standard 8-inch touchscreen and an updated version of NissanConnect that is similar to versions found in other recent Altima models but includes some improvements in visual appeal and performance, although some of the screens do appear a bit busy and cluttered.
The 8-inch touchscreen is large enough that it's easy to hit most icons on the touchscreen, whether it be in CarPlay or in NissanConnect, and you can customize some of the NissanConnect screens to make it easy to jump to your favorite audio sources or other functions. Nissan has also provided some hardware buttons in a strip below the touchscreen, as well as a volume knob at the left side and a tune/scroll knob at the right side.
Those buttons offer convenient access to some features, such as a prominent Home button to take you back to the NissanConnect home screen, a Phone button to jump into the phone app (either NissanConnect or CarPlay), an Audio button to select sources or see the main audio screen, buttons for switching audio tracks or presets, and of course a Back button to get you out of whatever you're currently doing.
One of three available home screens – clock widget in particular could use an improved design
There's also a dedicated Camera button that on my tester simply allowed for adjusting picture quality for the rear camera but is more useful on higher-level trims that include features such as a front camera or a surround-view camera system.
As in many other vehicles, the Altima's touchscreen can attract some fingerprints that are most visible in direct sunlight, but there's a little bit of a matte finish to help reduce fingerprints and glare.
One of the home screens with shortcuts surrounding a central audio widget
On the software side, the Altima's implementation of NissanConnect actually includes three different home screens, all of which are customizable with various widgets and shortcuts. Widgets can share live bits of information like clock, phone, and audio apps, while shortcuts are simply icons that let you hop into a specific function or audio source.
Each home screen is based around a 4x2 grid of spaces, and you can fill up those spaces with whatever combination of widgets and shortcuts will fit in your layout. Widgets can take up larger spaces such as 2x1 or 2x2, and then you can scatter 1x1 shortcut icons in any remaining spaces.
Once you have your home screens set up, you can easily swipe between them, so it's convenient to have something like a central home screen with your most used functions and then a swipe to the left or right can access more focused home screens, but the choice is yours.
CarPlay
Unsurprisingly, the Altima's CarPlay implementation is a wired one, and you can use either the USB-A or USB-C port up front to connect to the system. CarPlay setup was seamless, as CarPlay popped up on the car's display the instant I plugged my phone in, without having to jump through any hoops other than granting permission on my phone to allow CarPlay to function while the phone was locked.
CarPlay appears big and bright on the large 8-inch screen with a traditional aspect ratio that includes the usual 4x2 grid of icons on the home screen. In addition to all of your Apple apps and CarPlay-compatible third-party apps, the home screen also includes a Nissan app icon that makes it easy to jump back to the NissanConnect system. You can also use the hardware home button centered under the screen if you prefer a more tactile method.
CarPlay icon at left side of launch bar at bottom of main audio screen
Going in the other direction, the NissanConnect audio screens by default place an icon at the lower left that will take you to functions for a paired phone or, if an iPhone is connected via USB, into CarPlay.
My preference for infotainment systems is for there to be some way to display information from the native system alongside CarPlay, whether it be a split widescreen or portrait display or even something like FCA's Uconnect system with status and menu bars that can display a little bit of information for increased integration. The Altima doesn't offer that, but it does make it fairly easy to jump back and forth.
Fortunately, car manufacturers are also moving toward digital driver's displays that can display some additional information and be customized to suit your preferences. On the Altima, the driver's display can be set to show full audio track information, or if you choose a digital speedometer, for example, you can have audio information displayed at the bottom of the screen. Unfortunately, only the channel name is shown for SiriusXM, but for other sources (Bluetooth, USB, FM radio when track data is broadcast) it will display the song name.
Driver's display with digital speedometer and SiriusXM channel shown below
As is nearly universal among car manufacturers, the voice control button on the Altima's steering wheel serves dual duty, with a short press bringing up the Nissan assistant and a long press activating Siri. The hardware Tune/Scroll knob can also be used to control the CarPlay interface if you prefer a more tactile feel than the touchscreen, but its location at the far side of the display from the driver makes it a bit inconvenient, so you're pretty much going to want to use either the touchscreen or Siri to control CarPlay.
Siri/voice control at bottom center of right cluster
Ports and Connectivity
The 2019 Altima is among the growing number of vehicles offering USB-C ports for connecting devices. At the base of the center stack is a smartphone storage tray (which is a bit too small for an iPhone XS Max with a Lightning cable sticking out the bottom) and a pair of USB ports: one USB-A and one USB-C.
It's certainly nice to see USB-C starting to make its way into vehicles, as even though USB-A is still common, cars are designed to last ten years or more and it's good future-proofing to include these newer ports even though they're still just starting to gain traction with consumers.
iPhone XS Max in phone tray putting strain on Lightning cable
There is a second set of USB-A/USB-C ports on the back of the center console for rear passengers, but these are only for charging, not for connecting media devices to the NissanConnect system for playback. Nissan does not offer wireless charging or Wi-Fi hotspot functionality as options on the Altima.
Rear USB-A and USB-C ports
Wrap-up
The Altima along with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord remain the most popular midsize models in a shrinking sedan market, with those top manufacturers seeking to maintain some momentum while others scale back or even eliminate their sedan models in favor of crossovers that are dominating sales growth. As a result, the redesigned 2019 Altima brings some nice enhancements across the board, and the in-car technology is no exception.
I appreciate the spacious 8-inch touchscreen and CarPlay support across the board on Altima trims, giving everyone easy access to the ecosystems they're already familiar with on their phones. If anything, CarPlay is even more important to have on lower-level trims where built-in navigation isn't available, so it's great to see Nissan going all-in on CarPlay with the Altima and other models as their redesign cycles allow.
The native NissanConnect infotainment system is intuitive with a customizable interface, and the display is bright with vivid colors to help the interface elements stand out. Some of the pages can get a bit cluttered, and I'd like to see a little more modernization of some of the user interface elements, particularly the home screen widgets and shortcut icons.
For a mainstream midsize sedan intended for mass market appeal, the Altima does a solid job of presenting a clean and useful experience with NissanConnect and offering convenient integration with CarPlay.
The 2019 Nissan Altima starts at $23,900 with CarPlay included standard. A new all-wheel drive option is available for a $1,350 charge on all trims other than the high-end ones equipped with the VC-Turbo engine, and you can push pricing all the way to over $37,000 if you choose to max things out with an Edition ONE VC-Turbo trim.
The Pixelmator app for iOS devices received a major update today, adding support for Apple's newest iPad Pro models.
The app's interface has been optimized for the 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pros, and the double tap gesture introduced with the Apple Pencil 2 can now be used in Pixelmator.
Pixelmator on 11-inch iPad Pro before update on left, after update on right
According to the release notes for the update, Pixelmator will respect the user's global settings for the double tap gesture, so if it's set to switch to the erase tool, for example, it will be set that way in Pixelmator as well.
In addition to iPad Pro optimization, the new version of Pixelmator addresses several bugs, as outlined in the full release notes:
- The Pixelmator interface has now been optimized for the newest iPad Pro. - The double-tap gesture of the new Apple Pencil is now supported. - Wherever possible, Pixelmator will respect your global settings for the double-tap gesture. - The Noise, Hue, Miniaturize, and Hue effects were not working in the Photos extension. Fixed. - The canvas was being incorrectly centered in both the app and the Pixelmator Photos extension. Fixed. - After making a selection and moving it, tapping a part of the selection outside the bounds of the original layer would deselect the layer. Fixed.
Pixelmator for the iPad can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]
Apple is having trouble negotiating financial terms with publishers for its planned subscription news service, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Said to be like "Netflix for news," the planned subscription news service is designed to let users read unlimited content from participating publishers for one monthly fee, set at about $10 per month.
Major publishers are said to be resisting Apple's proposed revenue split, which would provide Apple with half of the revenue from the service. The other half of the revenue would be split among publishers "according to the amount of time users spend engaged with their articles."
Apple does not want to provide credit card information or email addresses to publishers, details that news sites use to create customer databases and market their products.
The New York Times and the Washington Post, two major publications with paywalls and subscription offerings, have not inked deals with Apple because of concerns over the terms at the current time. The Wall Street Journal reportedly also has concerns, but its conversations with Apple have been described as "productive."
Most sites charge $9.99 or more per month for access to their articles. The New York Times prices its basic subscriptions at $15 per month, while The Washington Post charges $10 per month and The Wall Street Journal charges $39 per month. Providing subscriptions through Apple could cause current subscribers to swap over, leading to lower revenue.
All three sites already offer some content on Apple News and are allowed to offer up subscriptions. News organizations are able to keep 70 percent of subscription fees for the first year for customers who sign up for Apple News, while Apple keeps 30 percent. After a year, Apple's cut drops to 15 percent.
Apple is planning to launch the subscription news service later this year as a paid option in the Apple News app. Other rumors have suggested that Apple is also planning to provide access to a number of popular magazines for $9.99 per month as it incorporates its Texture acquisition into Apple News.
It's possible that the one $9.99 per month fee would include access to both news content and magazines, though these could also be separate payments.
With the news service, and a planned television service that's also coming in 2019, Apple is aiming to boost its overall services revenue. With flagging iPhone sales, services has become an increasingly important category for Apple, allowing the company to generate revenue from its huge active install base.
Apple has discussed bundling its news service with iCloud storage tiers and its television service, so an all-in-one package from Apple could be on the horizon.
Google-owned mapping app Waze was today updated with support for the Siri Shortcuts feature that Apple introduced in iOS 12.
With Siri Shortcuts in Waze, you can record shortcuts for your drive home, drive to work, favorite locations, and more, all of which can be activated with a simple Siri voice command.
Waze is a popular Apple Maps alternative on iOS devices as it is known for its accurate traffic and hazard alerts, along with time-saving routing changes.
Siri Shortcuts for Waze can be set up by opening up the Settings app on the iPhone, navigating to "Siri & Search," and tapping the "Shortcuts" button. From there, either scroll down to the Waze section or search for Waze.
You will need to have your home, work, and favorite locations set up within the Waze app for those options to show up.
TechCrunch was able to download and verify 12 pornography and 12 real-money gambling apps over the past week that were abusing Apple's Enterprise Certificate system to offer apps prohibited from the App Store. These apps either offered streaming or pay-per-view hardcore pornography, or allowed users to deposit, win, and withdraw real money — all of which would be prohibited if the apps were distributed through the App Store.
The report notes that the problem starts with Apple's lax standards for accepting businesses into its enterprise program, which is solely intended for companies to allow employees to side-load apps for internal use.
Developers simply have to fill out an online form and pay $299 to Apple, as detailed in this guide from Calvium. The form merely asks developers to pledge they're building an Enterprise Certificate app for internal employee-only use, that they have the legal authority to register the business, provide a D-U-N-S business ID number, and have an up to date Mac. You can easily Google a business’ address details and look up their D-U-N-S ID number with a tool Apple provides.
Legitimate enterprise certificates are reportedly passed around on the black market too, particularly in China, and then used for prohibited purposes.
Apple did not explain how these apps slipped under the radar, whether it conducts routine compliance audits on developers in the program, or if it plans to change its enrollment process. Apple did issue a statement to TechCrunch noting that any developers who abuse the program will be immediately terminated:
Developers that abuse our enterprise certificates are in violation of the Apple Developer Enterprise Program Agreement and will have their certificates terminated, and if appropriate, they will be removed from our Developer Program completely. We are continuously evaluating the cases of misuse and are prepared to take immediate action.
Apple has apparently disabled some of the pornography and gambling apps over the past few days, but the report concludes that Apple should more tightly enforce its program to ensure it is not being used inappropriately.
Pornography and gambling apps involving real money are not allowed on the App Store.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues 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.
Amazon this week is discounting Apple's 9.7-inch iPad from early 2018 (32GB, Wi-Fi only) to just $249.00, which is $80 off its original price of $329.00. You can purchase this model in all three colorways, including Gold, Silver, and Space Gray.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This iPad has a 9.7-inch Retina display, an A10 Fusion chip with 64-bit desktop-class architecture, Touch ID, and support for the first-generation Apple Pencil. Apple refreshed the line in early 2018, making the model on sale today one of the lowest prices we've tracked for the latest iPad.
Amazon also has the 128GB model (Wi-Fi, Space Gray) available for $329.00, savings of $100 from its original $429.00 price tag. For more information on the latest sales and bargains, be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup.
Apple has yet to announce the dates for its Worldwide Developers Conference in 2019, but MacRumors has uncovered evidence that confirms the event will take place June 3-7 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California.
WWDC took place June 4-8 in 2018 and June 5-9 in 2017 at McEnery, so it would be natural if WWDC 2019 were scheduled for the same week of June. The weeklong conference has been hosted in the first half of June every year since 2007 and at McEnery specifically since 2017.
While we were already confident the WWDC 2019 dates would fall on June 3-7, we confirmed with a source that a large annual event of some kind will be taking place during that week at McEnery. Meanwhile, the second and fourth weeks of June are ruled out due to the already-announced O'Reilly Velocity conference on June 10-13 and the Sensors Expo on June 25-27 at McEnery.
In our continued research, we discovered that San Jose requires permitting for large public events such as Apple's WWDC Bash, which took place at the Discovery Meadow park next to McEnery in 2018.
Following that thread, we unearthed a 2019 events calendar from the City of San Jose's Office of Cultural Affairs that lists this year's WWDC Bash at Discovery Meadow on the evening of Thursday, June 6. The event is named "Team San Jose 2019 WWDC" and is organized by "Apple." An identical WWDC entry was listed in the Office of Cultural Affairs' 2018 events calendar for the actual WWDC 2018 Bash.
WWDC tickets have been priced at $1,599 in recent years and distributed randomly via lottery. To enter the lottery last year, developers had to be a member of the Apple Developer Program prior to Apple's official WWDC date announcement on March 13, so consider registering now if you hope to attend.
The calendar entry lists an estimated attendance of 7,000 people at WWDC, consistent with last year. This total will likely include around 5,000 developers, along with 350 or so WWDC scholars, hundreds of Apple employees, and the media. Apple is expected to announce iOS 13, macOS 10.15, watchOS 6, and tvOS 13 at the event.
Update: All mentions of WWDC and Apple have been removed from the 2019 events calendar, but the June 6 event at Discovery Meadow remains listed with "Team San Jose" as the organizer. Apple is likely simply covering its tracks as it has done several times in the past when information has leaked in similar ways.
Note: While we are confident about these dates, Apple could change its plans at any time. MacRumors can't be held responsible for any airfare or accommodations booked based on this information.
OnLeaks' Steve Hemmerstoffer today tweeted that the AirPods wireless charging case will be ready to launch sometime soon, but the actual AirPods 2 with "Hey, Siri" funtionality may be delayed to the fall.
OnLeaks itself casts some doubt on this rumor, by stating up front that the news was gained from a "new and yet unconfirmed," but seemingly reliable source. Hemmerstoffer appears to be most certain about the wireless charging case launching soon and being shipped with the first-generation AirPods.
Some #AirPods2 details I got from a new and yet unconfirmed but seemingly reliable source. Thus, I can't vouch these at 100%... - New wireless charging #AirPods Case to be launched soon BUT shipped with current AirPods - Brand new AirPods + new color(s) likely unveiled this fall pic.twitter.com/eNYom3Xys6
— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) February 12, 2019
Most rumors about AirPods 2 have pointed toward an early 2019 launch for the new wireless earphones, so definitely take this new report with a grain of salt. Just this morning, a sketchy report from Greek tech news site iphonehellas.gr claimed the new iPads, AirPods 2, and AirPower are all set to launch on March 29. Yesterday, DigiTimes reiterated previous rumors that stated Apple will release AirPods 2 in the first half of the year.
When they do launch, OnLeaks says the AirPods 2 will come in new colors, and yesterday rumor site MySmartPrice claimed that the new headphones will come in black and white. Beyond AirPods 2 and their new "Hey, Siri" functionality, Apple is believed to already be working on the third-generation AirPods, which are rumored to have some form of water resistance.
Hemmerstoffer and OnLeaks have a previous track record of sourcing information from Apple's supply chain, as well as the supply chains of other smartphone manufacturers. For example, Hemmerstoffer shared renders of the 2018 iPad Pro with accurate depictions of the tablet's redesign one month before the device was revealed by Apple.
Apple plans to hold a product event in the second half of March where it will officially announce second-generation AirPods, the AirPower wireless charging pad, a new affordable iPad and the so-called "iPad mini 5", according to the latest rumor.
The claim comes courtesy of Greek tech news site iphonehellas.gr [Google Translate], which says it has received "exclusive information" from "a reliable source through Apple's production chain in China" that pre-orders for the AirPods 2, AirPower, and new iPads will start on Friday, March 22 with shipping and in-store sales to begin a week later on Friday, 29 March.
In a separate post to Slashleaks, the same author of the iPhoneHellas rumor claims the Apple special event will take place sometime between March 11 and March 20.
Apple has held a number of special events in March in recent years, with the last one taking place in 2018 on March 29, when it announced a low-cost iPad 9.7-inch with Apple Pencil support. The earliest Apple event in the month of March took place way back in 2011 on March 2, so there's plenty of room for maneuver.
iPhoneHellas goes back several years and has occasionally offered correct information on iOS releases ahead of their launch, although that's not necessarily any indicator of the accuracy of this latest rumor, so at this point we'd advise taking it with at least a pinch of salt.
Rumors have long suggested Apple is planning to introduce second-generation AirPods with an improved wireless chip that will enable voice-activated "Hey Siri" functionality. A recent rumor from DigiTimes suggests the second-generation AirPods will appear in early 2019 and could also include "health monitoring" features, but there are no concrete details on just what functions might be included.
AirPower is a charging mat designed to charge Qi-based iPhones, the Apple Watch, and the AirPods, using a specially designed and as-of-yet unreleased wireless compatible AirPods Charging Case.
Apple announced AirPower in September 2017 and said at the time that it would launch sometime in 2018, but the end of 2018 came and went, and Apple has given no further official info on when the AirPower will debut.
A recent rumor from Apple's supply chain in China has suggested the manufacturing issues have been solved. AirPower was said to have entered mass production in late January, with Apple planning to release it sometime soon.
Though the iPad mini hasn't been updated since September 2015, rumors have suggested an "iPad mini 5" is in the works and could come during the first half of 2019. Apple in January registered seven new iPad models with the Eurasian Economic Commission, and at least some of these are believed to be the iPad mini. The others may be a new version of the low-cost 9.7-inch iPad.
DigiTimes reports that despite a sizable drop in fourth-quarter 2018 revenues and operating profits for lens-supplier Largan Precision, the company remains confident about "adoption of 3-lens or more modules for flagship smartphone models."
As a result, Largan is continuing to expand their production capacity, despite this recent dip in revenue.
Largan has also become a lens module supplier for China-based smartphone vendors including Huawei, Oppo and Vivo, and Korean giant Samsung Electronics. Among lens module makers, Largan stands a better chance of obtaining orders for 3-lens modules in 2019 due to competitiveness enabled by its economy of scale and technological capability.
Largan's confidence remains steady since back in July despite warnings from Apple that global sales may stall in 2018.
"Generally speaking, the smartphone industry may have started to slow, but the demand for more camera lenses does not stop there," Lin has told reporters after the company's annual general meeting on June 12. "The same smartphone shipment quantity would require more camera lenses than in the past."
Indeed, Apple is widely rumored to adopt a three lens system in their high end 2019 iPhones and beyond. A Triple-camera system could offer improved 3D-sensing, increased zoom, better low-light photos, and more.
Apple has named longtime Apple employee and iPhone executive Frank Casanova as its first head of marketing for augmented reality, reports Bloomberg.
Casanova, who has been at Apple since 1988, is responsible for all aspects of product marketing for Apple's "augmented reality initiative," according to his LinkedIn profile.
Prior to being named head of Apple's AR marketing effort, Casanova worked as Apple's senior director of iPhone partner marketing. He started at Apple as a product manager in May 1988, spent a short stint at another company for a year in 1997, and has been working at Apple since then. He was around for the launch of the iPhone as well as many other pivotal products.
As Bloomberg points out, Apple's decision to name a head of product marketing for augmented reality indicates the importance of the feature for the future of the company. Apple debuted ARKit, its augmented reality platform, in iOS 11, and made significant improvements to it in iOS 12.
ARKit turned Apple's iPhones and iPads the largest augmented reality platform available, with many apps now taking advantage of augmented reality capabilities.
This morning, we asked our readers on Twitter if they'd prefer to see USB-C ports or Lightning ports in the 2019 iPhone lineup, and the results so far are clear -- MacRumors readers are ready to transition to USB-C.
With more than 15,000 responses across both platforms at the time this article was written, 74% of Twitter users have chosen USB-C over Lightning, as have 71% of Facebook users.
There have been some rumors suggesting Apple is at least considering transitioning to USB-C in the 2019 iPhone lineup, with USB-C prototypes supposedly floating around, but the most recent information from Japanese site Mac Otakara suggests Apple will continue to use Lightning for the 2019 iPhone lineup.
Given the mixed rumors, it's looking like we may not be seeing a shift to USB-C in 2019, but it's still possible, and the rumors are encouraging because it means we may see a transition away from Lightning in the near future. iPhones in 2020 or 2021 could feature USB-C, even if the 2019 iPhones don't.
Many current iPhone users may be reluctant to shift from Lightning ports because they've spent years collecting Lightning-based accessories, but there are some benefits to be aware of. With USB-C, iPhones would charge faster than with the current 5W iPhone adapter and Lightning cable setup, and cables would be interchangeable with cables for the MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iPad lineup.
With USB-C support for the iPhone, a single cable could be used to charge all of the above listed devices, and existing power adapters for these devices would fast charge the iPhone, providing at least 50% power in 30 minutes and 80% power within an hour.
Do you want the 2019 iPhones to have a USB-C or Lightning Port?
— MacRumors.com (@MacRumors) February 11, 2019
MacRumors readers on social networks have weighed in, but we also want to hear from those who are visiting the site. Our Twitter and Facebook polls are open for the rest of the day, so go vote! USB-C or Lightning?
Also, if you don't already, make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, where we share news stories, polls, videos, tips and tricks, and other interesting Apple-related information.
Amazon today announced that it is acquiring eero, a company known for its mesh Wi-Fi systems.
eero makes a range of easy-to-use and somewhat affordable mesh Wi-Fi systems, designed to extend Wi-Fi signal across a person's entire home, putting an end to areas with weak signal.
There are no details on the purchase price, but Amazon says that it is acquiring eero to "help customers better connect smart home devices."
"We are incredibly impressed with the eero team and how quickly they invented a WiFi solution that makes connected devices just work," said Dave Limp, SVP of Amazon Devices and Services. "We have a shared vision that the smart home experience can get even easier, and we're committed to continue innovating on behalf of customers."
Mesh Wi-Fi systems like eero are ideal for smart home setups with many internet connected devices, and the acquisition fits well with Amazon's growing portfolio of smart home products such as Ring.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
OnLeaks itself casts some doubt on this rumor, by stating up front that the news was gained from a "new and yet unconfirmed," but seemingly reliable source. Hemmerstoffer appears to be 
