MacRumors

Apple suppliers in China including Foxconn plan to resume full-scale production by February 10, despite the coronavirus outbreak in the country, reports Bloomberg.

Foxconn's Hon Hai, the most important manufacturer for the U.S. company, said Tuesday it still expects to be able to restart facilities throughout China on schedule, according to a text message sent to Bloomberg News. Suppliers such as Quanta Computer Inc., Inventec Corp. and LG Display Co. also said they would go back to work next week in China.

The vast majority of Apple's iPhones are made in China, at Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant and at Pegatron's assembly site near Shanghai. Both locations are more than 500 kilometers away from Wuhan in central China, the epicenter of the viral outbreak.

Despite being ordered to halt "almost all" of its production in China through February 9, Foxconn recently claimed the viral outbreak has had a "fairly small impact" on iPhone production. Foxconn has factories in other countries such as Vietnam, India, and Mexico that have apparently been able to fill the gap.

Apple last week announced that it has closed all of its corporate offices, stores, and contact centers in mainland China through February 9 due to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, out of an abundance of caution. Apple has around 10,000 direct employees in China, across its retail and corporate divisions.

The timing of the coronavirus outbreak could impact supply of the new lower-cost iPhone that Apple is expected to announce in March. Bloomberg recently reported that production of the device was slated to begin in February, but the coronavirus outbreak could delay that timeframe.

More than 20,000 people have been infected with the virus and more than 400 have died. Last week, the World Health Organization declared the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak a global public health emergency. More information about the virus and how to protect yourself is available on the agency's website.

Apple increased its worldwide tablet market share by 6.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019, thanks to strong demand for its new 10.2-inch iPad, according to the latest data compiled by research firm IDC.

Apple's seventh-generation ‌iPad‌, introduced in September 2019 as an affordable entry-level tablet for consumers and educational institutions, accounted for 65 percent of 15.9 million total ‌iPad‌ shipments during the three months ending in December, according to IDC.

Performance of the 10.2-inch ‌iPad‌ helped the company increase global tablet market share in the holiday quarter to 36.5 percent, up from 29.6 percent in the year ago quarter. Apple's year-over-year tablet growth was up 22.7 percent from 12.9 million shipments in Q4 2018.

IDC's full-year statistics tell a similar story, with Apple taking 34.6 percent of the 2019 tablet market on shipments of 49.9 million iPads, up 15.2 percent from 29.6 percent on 43.3 million units shipped in 2018.

Apple's growth came despite a period in which the worldwide tablet market declined 0.6 percent year over year during the fourth quarter of 2019, as global shipments fell to 43.5 million units. For the full year, the tablet market shrank 1.5 percent year over year as global shipments totaled 144 million units, according to IDC.

Samsung regained the second position behind Apple, despite another year-over-year decline in shipments. The company shipped 7 million units in the quarter, but even with growth across its detachable portfolio, the company couldn't offset the decline from its slate tablets.

Huawei and Amazon came third and fourth, shipping 4 million and 3.3 million units, respectively. Huawei saw a 2.8 percent decrease in growth year over year, while Amazon slumped by 29 percent over the same period. However, Amazon was the only other brand apart from Apple to see growth for the whole year (9.9 percent).

Lenovo was the other brand in the top 5 that recorded year-over-year growth in holiday quarter shipments. Its share slightly increased from 5.3 percent in 4Q18 to 5.8 percent in 4Q19. Lenovo's growth declined by 4.2 percent for the year.

Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the next iPad Pro update will come during the first half of 2020. Apple is said to be planning to release a next-generation model with upgraded Face ID and a rear-facing time-of-flight (ToF) camera system that would allow for 3D models to be captured using the ‌iPad Pro‌ and then edited with the Apple Pencil for an "all-new productivity experience."

LG today announced that the Apple TV app and accompanying ‌Apple TV‌+ streaming service are now available on select 2019 LG TVs in the United States and more than 80 other countries.

The addition of the ‌Apple TV‌ app to LG's 2019 TV lineup follows the CES debut of new 2020 models that come with the ‌Apple TV‌ app pre-installed.

LG TV owners can access the ‌Apple TV‌ app from the LG Home app Launcher, and along with ‌Apple TV‌+, LG users can also subscribe to Apple channels and access their iTunes libraries to rent, purchase, and watch TV shows and movies.

The TVs that support the ‌Apple TV‌ app are also compatible with AirPlay 2, allowing users to share or mirror content from the iPhone, iPad, or Mac directly to an LG TV.

TV models that feature the ‌Apple TV‌ app as of today include the 2019 LED TVs and NanoCell TVs (series SM9X and SM8X). LG says that later in the month, the ‌Apple TV‌ app will also roll out on select UHD UM7X and UM6X models. The app will be available on 2020 models at launch.

In the future, LG also plans to bring the ‌Apple TV‌ app to 2018 models, but that won't be happening until later this year.

Apple is currently running a new Apple Watch promotion that's ideal for anyone who is considering trading in an older Apple Watch model to purchase a new model.

Apple is offering up to $100 on the Apple Watch Series 2 and Apple Watch Series 3 models, which is a higher trade-in amount than Apple normally offers for those devices.

Prior to when the promotion kicked off, Apple was offering up to $60 for an ‌Apple Watch Series 2‌ model and up to $70 for an Apple Watch Series 3 model. The new promo provides an extra $30 to $40.

Apple is offering boosted trade-in prices as part of Heart Month, which takes place in February. Apple's Apple Watch page advertises the sale, which drops the price of an entry-level 40mm Series 5 watch to $299.

We tested the purchase process with a new 38mm Apple Watch Series 5 trading in a Series 3. Apple offered $100 for the trade-in, which is provided in the form of a refund to the purchase price after the old Apple Watch is shipped in.

Getting the maximum trade-in value for a Series 2 or Series 3 device requires the Apple Watch to be in good, working condition. Apple also offers $100 back for a Series 4 trade-in or $30 for a Series 1 trade-in.

Apple's largest manufacturing partner Foxconn has seen a "fairly small impact" from the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak so far, but the company could face a "big" impact to its iPhone production if the Chinese government forces factories to remain closed for an additional week or longer, according to Reuters.

The report claims that Foxconn has halted "almost all" of its production in China through February 9 as ordered, but its factories in other countries such as Vietnam, India, and Mexico have apparently been able to fill the gap for now.

The timing of the coronavirus outbreak could impact supply of the new lower-cost iPhone that Apple is expected to announce in March. Bloomberg recently reported that production of the device was slated to begin in February, but the coronavirus outbreak could delay that timeframe.

Given that Apple typically sources components from multiple suppliers, and that Foxconn has factories outside of China, it is likely that Apple will still release the lower-cost iPhone in March, even if supply is limited at launch.

Last week, the World Health Organization declared the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak a global public health emergency. More information about the virus and how to protect yourself is available on the agency's website.

Apple today announced that it will be providing special coverage of the 2020 presidential election in the United States starting today, complete with news and analysis from dozens of sources, including ABC News, CBS News, CNN, FiveThirtyEight, Fox News, NBC News, ProPublica, Reuters, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, TIME, USA Today, and others.

The election coverage will be available through the Today tab of the Apple News app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple says users must update to iOS 13.3, iPadOS 13.3, or macOS 10.15.2 to access all of the content, including a series of curated guides, state and national polling data, infographics, and other resources.

Beginning with the next Democratic debate in New Hampshire on February 7, Apple News will feature live-streaming video from ABC News, along with real-time analysis and updates from FiveThirtyEight and other outlets. Apple says a livestream of the debate will also be available through its TV app.

The special coverage will last through the 2021 presidential inauguration.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

An allegedly leaked video showing Samsung's upcoming "Galaxy Z Flip" has been shared online, offering a hands-on preview of what the company's second attempt at a folding phone will look like.

Shared on Twitter by mobile leaker Ben Geskin, the short clip shows the clamshell-like device in action for the first time. The Galaxy Z Flip is reminiscent of a traditional flip phone that folds up into a compact palm-sized phone, making it small enough to easily fit into a pocket.

The handset appears to have two cameras on the back next to a digital clock readout, similar to the alleged leaked images we saw in December. What isn't clear is whether the model uses the previously rumored "ultra-thin glass" that Samsung is said to have developed in an effort to avoid the display issues that plagued the Galaxy Fold, which uses a plastic screen.

The 6.7-inch Galaxy Z Flip is expected to be more affordable than its book-style predecessor, which costs $1,980 in the U.S. Motorola announced in November the resurrection of its Razr brand in the form of a similar-looking vertically folding Android phone. The new mid-range Razr will cost $1,499 when it's released next month.

The Galaxy Z Flip is expected to be revealed alongside the Galaxy S11 (possibly called the "Galaxy S20") at Samsung's Unpacked event in San Francisco on February 11.

There are no rumors suggesting that Apple has plans to release a foldable smartphone anytime soon, but Apple is undoubtedly looking into foldable devices given that rival companies are coming out with them. In the past, Apple has patented some foldable display technology, and a rumor earlier this year suggested Samsung has provided folding display samples to Apple.

A new ad for Apple Arcade released today blends the real world with the virtual one while showcasing several games available on the service, including LEGO Builder's Journey and Ultimate Rivals: The Rink.

Apple Arcade launched in September, providing iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac users with access to over 100 games with no in-app purchases or ads for $4.99 per month in the United States. The latest titles include co-operative augmented reality game Secret Oops! and family-friendly battle royale game Butter Royale.

The one-minute ad is accompanied by an animated "livestream" of Oceanhorn 2, another game available on Apple Arcade.

Apple Arcade has also taken over Apple.com, possibly as part of a larger advertising campaign timed with the Super Bowl today.