MacRumors

Samsung today officially debuted the Galaxy Z Flip, its newest flagship foldable smartphone. Unlike Samsung's first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, the Z Flip is a smartphone-sized device that folds in half. Samsung called it a stylish smartphone designed for trendsetters and people who want to stand out.

Samsung first unveiled the smartphone on Sunday with a commercial that was shown during the Oscars, but the full announcement includes additional details about the device.

The major selling point for the Galaxy Z Flip is its small size, as it can fold in half and be tucked into a pocket. When folded out, it features a 6.7-inch Infinity Flex AMOLED display that's full screen with the exception of a small camera cutout at the top. Samsung says that the Z Flip is its first ever smartphone with a 21.9:9 ratio, and that the display is made from bendable "Ultra Thin Glass."

There's a Hideaway Hinge, which Samsung calls a "work of engineering art," with the hinge able to withstand 200,000 folds. The hinge uses a sweeper technology that includes nylon fibers to repel dirt and dust, a problem that affected Samsung's first foldable smartphone.

The phone can be used folded out into a traditional smartphone shape, but it can also be used folded in half similar to a makeup compact with the bottom half propping up the top half for a hands-free mode.

When folded in half, the Z Flip is in "Flex Mode," with an interface optimized for a hands-free selfie and vlogging experience using the 10-megapixel front-facing camera. Because the Galaxy Z Flip can hold its position at multiple angles, Samsung says it can capture "amazing low angle" photos that "play with perception" using the rear camera.

A Multi-Active Window feature allows users to multi-task by opening up the Multi-Window Tray to drag and drop the apps they want to use. One app can occupy each half of the Z Flip.

There's a small display on the back of the smartphone so that when it's folded up, users are still able to see the time, incoming notifications, and other relevant information. Tapping a notification on the cover screen will transition to the app while unfolding the phone.

Samsung included a dual battery inside the Galaxy Z Flip with a 3,300mAh capacity. That doesn't quite match the battery life of the S20 series, but Samsung says it will "last all day long."

Samsung says that the Galaxy Z Flip will be available in limited quantities in Mirror Purple and Black starting in the U.S. and Korea on February 14, 2020, followed by Mirror Gold in select countries. Pricing starts at $1,380.

Apple today released a Catalyst-based Swift Playgrounds app for the Mac, which was built from the existing Swift Playgrounds app for the iPad.

Like Swift Playgrounds for ‌iPad‌, Swift Playgrounds for Mac is designed to provide exercises and challenges to help users learn the basics of coding. The app requires no coding knowledge to use and is ideal for students who are just starting out with coding.

Swift Playgrounds is a revolutionary app for Mac and iPad that makes it fun to learn and experiment with code. You solve interactive puzzles in the guided "Learn to Code" lessons to master the basics of coding, or experiment with a wide range of challenges that let you explore many unique coding experiences.

Swift Playgrounds requires no coding knowledge, so it's perfect for students just starting out, from twelve to one-hundred-and-twelve. The whole time you are learning Swift, a powerful programming language created by Apple and used by professionals to build many of today's most popular apps. Code you write works seamlessly as you move between Mac and iPad.

Swift Playgrounds for Mac is available from the Mac App Store as of today, and it is a free download. [Direct Link]

The Federal Trade Commission today announced that it has issued Special Orders to Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, Google and Google parent company Alphabet requiring them to report all prior acquisitions not previously reported.

In the United States, companies are required to report acquisitions over a certain value to the FTC under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act, while acquisitions under the value threshold do not need to be reported. The FTC is asking for details on all smaller acquisitions that it did not previously know about. The HSR threshold in 2020 is $94 million, but it is a number that is adjusted by the FTC each year and would have been lower in past years.

The FTC says that it wants the companies to provide information and documents on the "terms, scope, structure, and purpose of transactions" that took place from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019 and were not reported under the HSR Act. The FTC wants to learn whether large tech companies are making anticompetitive acquisitions of nascent or potential competitors in deals small enough to go unreported to antitrust agencies.

"Digital technology companies are a big part of the economy and our daily lives," said FTC Chairman Joe Simons. "This initiative will enable the Commission to take a closer look at acquisitions in this important sector, and also to evaluate whether the federal agencies are getting adequate notice of transactions that might harm competition. This will help us continue to keep tech markets open and competitive, for the benefit of consumers."

Apple and other tech companies will also need to provide the FTC with documents on corporate acquisition strategies, voting and board appointment agreements, agreements to hire key personnel from other companies, and post-employment non-compete agreements. Each company will be asked to offer information on post-acquisition product development and pricing, including whether and how acquired assets were integrated and how acquired data has been treated.

Tech companies like Apple often make many acquisitions per year, and Apple in particular buys a lot of smaller companies. Apple does not provide details on purchase prices, though, so it is unclear how many acquisitions have previously not been reported to the FTC.

In the last few months, Apple has purchased Xnor.ai, Spectral Edge, and IKinema.

Back in October, the developers behind email app BlueMail sued Apple, alleging that the "Hide My Email" feature of "Sign in with Apple" infringes on its patented technology. The complaint also accuses Apple of anticompetitive behavior, including removing BlueMail from the Mac App Store.

Last week, after months of making little to no progress with Apple towards having its Mac app reinstated, BlueMail co-founders Ben Volach and Dan Volach penned an open letter to the developer community that encouraged any developers who feel that Apple has kicked them out of the App Store or otherwise treated them unfairly to reach out to them and share their stories.

Just days later, the BlueMail app has returned to the Mac App Store. In a press release, BlueMail parent company Blix said it has no intention of dropping its legal case against Apple, which it believes extends beyond the removal of BlueMail on the Mac App Store to the "suppression of its iOS app and the infringement of Blix's patented technology through 'Sign in with Apple.'"

"We're happy that users can once again get BlueMail through the Mac App Store, but we know this isn't the end. Our experience has shown that until the app review process includes effective checks and balances, Apple holds too much power over small developers." said Ben Volach, co-founder at Blix. "One solution could be to include external independent members and observers in Apple's App Review Board, just as a public company's Board of Directors represents its shareholders."

"When we wrote to Tim Cook in November, we heard back in hours. When we wrote to Apple's developer community, BlueMail was back on the App Store within a week," said Dan Volach, co-founder at Blix. "If you're out there too scared to come forward, let this be your proof that speaking out works. To Apple, we want to reiterate that all we want for developers is an opportunity to be treated fairly."

Update: Apple has shared the following statement with MacRumors, noting that BlueMail had "refused" its help and that the App Store Review Guidelines apply evenly to all developers:

Blix's mail app is currently available on the iOS App Store and they have a brand new communications app available on the Mac App Store. We have attempted on multiple occasions to assist them in getting their BlueMail app back on the Mac App Store. They have refused our help. The App Store has a uniform set of guidelines, equally applicable to all developers, that are meant to protect users. Blix is proposing to override basic data security protections which can expose users’ computers to malware that can harm their Macs and threaten their privacy.

Apple says Blix submitted a revised version of the BlueMail app late last week with an updated binary respecting Gatekeeper, leading to the app being reinstated on the Mac App Store on Monday. Apple says revised app submitted for review was different than what they previously submitted.

Apple Card users are now able to export their transaction data in an OFX file format for use with third-party financial apps such as Quicken and Mint, as noted by Kyle Seth Gray. The option shows up when a monthly statement is available.

The exporting feature first rolled out last month, but only with CSV file support.

How to Export and Download Apple Card Transactions

1. Open the Wallet app on your iPhone and tap on Apple Card.
2. Tap on Card Balance.
3. Under Statements, tap on the statement you want to export.
4. Tap on Export Transactions and choose CSV or OFX.

Apple launched its credit card in the United States in August. Key features include color-coded spending summaries in the Wallet app, no fees beyond any applicable interest, and up to three percent cashback on purchases paid out daily.

To apply for an ‌Apple Card‌, simply open the Wallet app on an iPhone running iOS 12.4 or later, tap the plus button in the top-right corner, and follow the on-screen steps. The process takes just a few minutes, and if approved, your digital ‌Apple Card‌ will be ready for purchases immediately. A physical titanium-based Apple Card is also available for use at retail stores that do not accept contactless payments.

Amazon and Best Buy have a collection of solid discounts across Apple's iPad lineup this week, including numerous lowest-ever prices on the iPad mini 5, iPad Pro, and 10.2-inch iPad. The deepest discounts can be found on the iPad Pro, with as much as $199 off Wi-Fi and cellular models.

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.

Standouts in the sale include the 1TB Wi-Fi 12.9-inch iPad Pro for $1,349.99 ($199 off), the entry-level 32GB Wi-Fi iPad at $249.00 ($80 off), and the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 5 at $349.99 ($49 off). While the majority of the sales below will be found at Amazon, Best Buy is also offering discounts to its customers not found on Amazon.

iPad mini 5

• 64GB, Wi-Fi - $349.99, down from $399.00 ($49 off, lowest ever)
• 256GB, Wi-Fi - $499.99, down from $549.00 ($49 off, lowest ever)
• 64GB, Cellular - $509.00, down from $529.00 ($20 off, lowest ever)
• 256GB, Cellular - $638.00, down from $679.00 ($41 off, lowest ever)

iPad Air

• 64GB, Wi-Fi - $459.00, down from $499.00 ($40 off)
• 64GB, Cellular - $579.00, down from $629.00 ($50 off)

10.2-Inch iPad

• 32GB, Wi-Fi - $249.00, down from $329.00 ($80 off, lowest ever)
• 128GB, Wi-Fi - $329.00, down from $429.00 ($100 off, lowest ever)
• 32GB, Cellular - $379.99, down from $459.00 ($79 off, lowest ever)
• 128GB, Cellular - $459.99, down from $559.00 ($99 off, lowest ever)

iPad Pro

11-Inch

• 512GB, Wi-Fi - $999.99, down from $1,149.00 ($149 off)
• 1TB, Wi-Fi - $1,149.99, down from $1,349.00 ($199 off)
• 64GB, Cellular - $824.99, down from $949.00 ($124 off)
• 256GB, Cellular - $949.99, down from $1,099.00 ($149 off)
• 512GB, Cellular - $1,149.99, down from $1,299.00 ($149 off)
• 1TB, Cellular - $1,299.99, down from $1,499.00 ($199 off)

12.9-Inch

• 64GB, Wi-Fi - $874.99, down from $999.00 ($124 off)
• 512GB, Wi-Fi - $1,199.99, down from $1,349.00 ($149 off)
• 1TB, Wi-Fi - $1,349.99, down from $1,549.00 ($199 off, lowest ever)
• 512GB, Cellular - $1,349.99, down from $1,499.00 ($149 off)
• 1TB, Cellular - $1,499.99, down from $1,699.00 ($199 off, lowest ever)

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

As expected, U.S. federal judge Victor Marrero today approved T-Mobile's proposed $26 billion acquisition of Sprint, which would create a dominant third-largest carrier alongside AT&T and Verizon in the United States.

The FCC formally approved the merger in November 2019, but a group of state attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit aiming to block it. The states argued that combining the two companies was not in the public's interest, claiming that it would reduce competition and lead to higher smartphone bills.

In his decision, however, Marrero concluded that "T-Mobile has redefined itself over the past decade as a maverick that has spurred the two largest players in its industry to make numerous pro-consumer changes," referring to AT&T and Verizon, and expressed optimism that the merged company would be able to continue this successful business strategy for the foreseeable future.

Following the decision, T-Mobile has announced that it is now working with Sprint on the final steps to complete their merger to create the "New T-Mobile," noting that the deal could close as early as April 2020.

T-Mobile added that it is committed to delivering the same or better rate plans at the same or better prices for at least three years, including 5G.

Apple is predicted to sell more than 100 million true wireless hearables in 2020 as it continues to dominate the global market, according to new data from Counterpoint Research.

In a report published today, Counterpoint said the global market size for true wireless hearables had beat expectations, growing 53 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to the same quarter the year previous.

In total, 51 million units were sold in the quarter, while 130 million were sold for the full year. The U.S. was the main driver for the quarter, growing 76 percent year on year and accounting for 35 percent of the global market. Seasonal promotions and Apple's launch of AirPods Pro at the end of October.

The launch of Apple's new AirPods Pro model in late October helped the company record steady 44% growth in 4Q19, with 6m units sold despite supply shortages. Apple's market share fell slightly to 41% QoQ as it attempted to keep up with swift overall market growth; market share for the full year reached 47%.

Looking at the year ahead for the true wireless hearables market, Counterpoint senior analyst Liz Lee said:

"We expect Apple to sell more than 100m true wireless hearables in 2020, including AirPods Pros, to maintain their comfortable lead in the market. The real competition will be for second place, especially in the premium market; Samsung, which sold 8m Galaxy Buds last year, will need further upgrades to those expected in the Galaxy Buds Plus, including noise cancellation and other advanced features and designs, in order to beat its rivals."

The upbeat figures come despite concerns that AirPods and AirPods Pro manufacturing could be impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, leading to greater supply shortages.

In a January investor note, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects Chinese company Goertek to begin assembly of AirPods Pro in the first half of the year. The addition of a second supplier alongside Luxshare Precision should help improve supply of the popular earphones, which continue to face multi-week shipping estimates on Apple.com.

Apple is rumored to be considering bundling AirPods with future iPhone models coming in 2020. Given the high price of AirPods, though, and their popularity as a standalone product, it seems unlikely that will happen.

Rumors suggest Apple plans to round out its audio wearable lineup with a set of high-end over-ear headphones, which, according to Kuo, are under development at Apple's Cupertino headquarters. Kuo did not provide any details about these headphones beyond claiming that they will support Bluetooth. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple-branded over-ear headphones were under development, but it is unclear if they were canceled, became the Beats Solo Pro, or otherwise.

Apple has joined the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) Alliance, an open industry association whose mission is to develop and promote stronger authentication standards and help reduce the world's over-reliance on passwords.

Apple joins existing members Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung and others in a common goal to secure online connections and support the adoption of the U2F authentication standard, which the alliance hosts.

Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) is an open standard that strengthens and simplifies two-factor authentication (2FA) using specialized USB or near-field communication (NFC) devices based on similar security technology found in smart cards. U2F security keys can be used as an additional method of two-step verification in online services that support the U2F protocol, such as Google, Dropbox, and Facebook.

Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera browsers natively support U2F. With iOS 13.3, Apple's Safari also supports FIDO2-compliant physical security keys like the Lightning-equipped YubiKey.

With Safari support, the YubiKey 5Ci is a useful tool that can be more convenient than software-based two-factor authentication because there's no need to enter a security code -- you simply plug it in to an iPhone or Mac (there's also a USB-C connector) to authenticate. Support for FIDO2-compliant USB security keys using WebAuthn was previously added to Safari 13 in macOS.

FIDO was founded in 2013 by a group including Lenovo and Paypal to address the lack of interoperability among strong authentication. MacGeneration was first to spot Apple's logo added to the list of board members.

A judge overseeing a lawsuit aiming to stop the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint is planning to rule in favor of allowing the deal to go forward, reports The New York Times.

The FCC formally approved the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint in November 2019, but attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia filed an antitrust lawsuit aiming to block it. The states argued that combining the two companies was not in the public's interest as it would reduce competition and lead to higher smartphone bills.

Final arguments in the antitrust suit took place last month, and sources that spoke to The New York Times said that none of the parties involved have read the judge's ruling yet, so there could be conditions or restrictions attached.

Both Sprint and T-Mobile are planning to make announcements related to the merger on Tuesday, as the lawsuit was the final roadblock preventing it from moving forward. If the judge does indeed rule in favor of Sprint and T-Mobile, the newly combined company will be known as T-Mobile and it will have 100 million customers.

The two companies have committed to building a nationwide 5G network covering 97 percent of the U.S. population in three years and 99 percent within six years. They have also promised not to raise their prices for three years following the merger's completion.

Under the terms of the deal, both T-Mobile and Sprint were required to sell some of their assets to Dish, as the FCC wants to see Dish become the fourth nationwide facilities-based wireless carrier in the United States.

Apple is rumored to be working on a low-cost iPhone that could launch within the next few months, and as with any new imminent ‌iPhone‌ launch, case makers are already scrambling to get cases ready for the new devices.

Case manufacturers often pre-design cases for new iPhones well in advance of when the devices launch, basing designs on rumors, leaked schematics, renders, and other details. Most often this information is accurate enough that these pre-designed cases fit well, and there's a lot of money in being one of the first companies to have a case available for a freshly released ‌iPhone‌.

With the new low-cost ‌iPhone‌ rumored to be identical in design to the 4.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ ‌iPhone‌ 8, it's not much of a stretch for case makers to take advantage of this fact and offer cases for sale early.

Totallee, for example, has already launched pre-orders for an "iPhone SE 2" case, and sites like Alibaba and Amazon also have similar case listings. We can expect pre-sales of cases for the low-cost ‌iPhone‌ to pick up its launch date approaches.

Totallee and other case manufacturers do not have specific information on the new ‌iPhone‌ direct from Apple, and these early case designs (and the March release date details) are based on circulating rumors. Totallee says the cases will be available on March 24, but that's just the date that ‌iPhone‌ SE preorders began back in 2017 and a decent guess as to when an event could potentially be held.

The low-cost ‌iPhone‌, which has been referred to as the "‌iPhone‌ SE 2" due to its prospective $399 price point, is not expected to resemble the 2016 ‌iPhone‌ SE at all. Instead, rumors suggest it will be an updated ‌iPhone‌ 8.

The new ‌iPhone‌ will feature a 4.7-inch display, a single-lens rear camera, thick top and bottom bezels, and a Touch ID Home button. It is expected to come in space gray, silver, and red color options, and we're expecting 64 and 128GB storage capacities.

Recent rumors have suggested that Apple could unveil the new low-cost ‌iPhone‌ early in the year, perhaps in March. Apple does often hold an event in March, and if there are going to be new product announcements coming at a specific event, we could be hearing details soon.

YouTube is considering offering a feature that would let people sign up for subscription services from third-party entertainment companies through YouTube, reports The Information.

Such a feature would be similar to Apple TV Channels and the Amazon Channels option from Amazon, both of which allow users to sign up for paid video services through their Apple ID and Amazon accounts, respectively.

Apple in March 2019 unveiled a revamped Apple TV app with the ‌Apple TV‌ Channels option, which lets ‌Apple TV‌ owners sign up for services like CBS All Access, Starz, Showtime, Comedy Central Now, HBO, and more right in the TV app without having to open up another app. Amazon has offered a similar feature since 2015.

YouTube is said to be in talks with "several entertainment companies" about adding their services to YouTube, but the status of the talks is unknown at this time.

A subscription channel offering would add value to YouTube TV, YouTube's current streaming television service. YouTube TV, priced at $50 per month, offers live and on-demand cable access and has attracted two million subscribers.

It's unclear if the new subscription channel offering would be linked to YouTube TV specifically or would be a separate endeavor available to a broader range of YouTube users.

According to The Information, offering stand-alone subscriptions could help YouTube improve profit margins on YouTube TV as it would get a cut of sales on its platform. Apple and Amazon, for example, take a cut of 30 to 50 percent of subscription fees from their channel partners, a lucrative addition to their own streaming services.

Amazon's Echo speakers continue to be the most popular smart speakers in the United States, and will remain in the dominant spot through at least 2021, according to new smart speaker user estimates shared today by eMarketer (via TechCrunch).

An estimated 69.7 percent of U.S. smart speaker users will use an Amazon Echo product in 2020, a number that's down slightly from the estimated 72.9 percent of smart speaker owners who used an Echo in 2019. In 2021, Amazon is estimated to see another small drop in usage, with eMarketer suggesting 68.2 percent of smart speaker owners will use an Echo.

Google is expected to make some headway against Amazon, but eMarketer does not believe that the "Other" category, which includes Apple's HomePod, the Sonos One, and other smart speakers, will gain significant ground over the next two years.

An estimated 31.7 percent of smart speaker owners will use a Google device in 2020, while 18.4 percent will use speakers in the Other category. In 2021, that number is expected to grow to 32 percent for Google and 18.8 percent for the Other category.

Since Amazon first introduced the Echo, it has built a convincing lead in the U.S. and continues to beat back challenges from top competitors," said Victoria Petrock, a principal analyst at eMarketer. "We had previously expected Google and Apple to make more inroads in this market, but Amazon has remained aggressive. By offering affordable devices and building out the number of Alexa skills, the company has maintained Echo's appeal," she added.

eMarketer expects the number of U.S. smart speaker owners to grow over the next several years, but ownership numbers will rise slowly. 28.9 percent of internet users also have a smart speaker, a number that will grow to 30.5 percent next year.

Though Apple's ‌HomePod‌ recently turned two, Apple has had some difficulty securing a foothold in the smart speaker market. Apple's ‌HomePod‌ was priced at $349 when it launched in February 2018, but Apple dropped the price to $299 in April 2019. Even at $299, the ‌HomePod‌ is significantly more expensive than Amazon's Echo lineup, which includes smart speakers at multiple price points. Amazon's lowest priced device, the Echo Dot, sells for $30 and sometimes dips even lower.

Apple was hoping that the superior sound of the ‌HomePod‌ would draw customers to pay extra for sound quality, but the more affordable prices of the Amazon Echo and Google Home have been more appealing to most consumers. Amazon doesn't have quite the same advantage in non-U.S. markets because it supports fewer non-English languages than other speakers like the Google Home, so that is an area where Apple could make inroads into the smart speaker market.

‌HomePod‌ rollout has been slow, though, with the device limited to the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan

Apple is rumored to be working on a new, more affordable version of the ‌HomePod‌ with reduced tweeters, which could be released at some point in 2020. A lower price point will help the ‌HomePod‌ better compete with the Amazon Echo and the Google Home, but it will likely be difficult for Apple to catch up given the lead Amazon and Google have in the smart speaker market.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Catalina 10.15.4 update to its public beta testing group, with the new public beta coming five days after the release of the first developer beta.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will be able to download the new ‌macOS Catalina‌ beta through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile.

Those who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to iOS, macOS, and tvOS betas.

The macOS Catalina 10.15.4 update introduces Screen Time Communication Limits, a feature that was brought to the iPhone in the iOS 13.3 update. Screen Time Communication Limits allow parents to limit who their children contact and when communication apps are available.

The update also includes a new Head Pointer Accessibility option that allows the mouse cursor to be controlled with head movements using the Mac's built-in camera.

References to new AMD processors were discovered in the macOS 10.15.4 beta, leading to speculation that Apple is working on AMD-based Macs, but it's not clear if these references are simply for internal testing rather than evidence of an AMD Mac.

Though not directly related to ‌macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.4, Apple is adding a new universal purchase option for macOS and iOS apps, which will allow Apple device users to purchase one app that works across multiple platforms.