MacRumors

Well timed with a report from The New York Times today that explained why Apple is unlikely to manufacture more of its products in the United States, Apple has published a press release highlighting how several components it uses are manufactured by U.S. suppliers such as Finisar, Corning, and Broadcom.

This includes VCSELs for Face ID on the iPhone X and newer at Finisar in Texas, ‌iPhone‌ and iPad display glass at Corning in Kentucky, water-resistance testing at Cincinnati Test Systems in Ohio, and wireless chips at Broadcom, Qorvo, and Skyworks in Colorado, Oregon, and Massachusetts respectively.

Since 2011, the total number of jobs created and supported by Apple in the United States has more than tripled from almost 600,000 to two million across all 50 states, the company says. Apple profiled a few of its supplier employees in its press release, providing a closer look at their operations.

Apple has held discussions with developers about a potential gaming subscription service, according to Cheddar's Alex Heath.

The report, citing five unnamed sources, claims the service would function like "Netflix for games," providing paying subscribers with access to a bundle of games for a set price. Apple began privately discussing the service with game developers in the second half of 2018, according to the report.

It's unclear how much the subscription will cost, when it may launch, or what kind of games Apple will offer. Apple has App Stores full of games on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, Mac, and Apple TV, but many are free-to-download "freemium" titles supported by in-app purchases like coins and jewels.

The service, said to be in the early stages of development, could bring more visibility to paid titles like Alto's Odyssey and Monument Valley rather than freemium titles like Clash of Clans that dominate the App Store charts. Given how early it is, though, Apple could ultimately abandon the plans.

Apple has also discussed partnering with developers as a publisher, according to two of the sources cited, suggesting that the ‌iPhone‌ maker could handle marketing, distribution, and other related costs for select games.

Possibly of note, Apple recently expanded its iPod touch trademark to encompass gaming in the United States. While sales of the device have faded in recent years, rumors suggest Apple may be planning a seventh-generation iPod touch, which would likely be one of the cheapest points of entry for an Apple gaming service.

Apple is also expected to launch subscription-based services for TV shows and movies and magazines and newspapers this year.

The New York Times today published a story explaining why Apple is unlikely to manufacture more of its products in the United States.

The report reveals an interesting anecdote about the latest Mac Pro. In late 2012, Apple CEO Tim Cook touted that the computer would be "Made in the USA," but sales were supposedly postponed by months in part because Apple could not secure enough custom screws for the computer from U.S.-based suppliers.

A machine shop in Texas tasked with the job could produce at most 1,000 screws a day, according to the report. By the time the computer was ready for mass production, this shortage gave Apple little choice but to order screws from China where factories can produce vast quantities of custom screws on short notice.

Apple's manufacturing partner eventually turned to another Texas supplier in Caldwell Manufacturing, which was hired to make 28,000 screws, the report adds. That company delivered 28,000 screws over 22 trips, with its owner Stephen Melo often "making the one-hour drive himself in his Lexus sedan."

The report goes on to describe how the United States struggles to compete with China's combination of scale, skills, infrastructure, and cost. In short, American workers are typically more expensive and unwilling to work around the clock.

In response to the report, an Apple spokesperson told The New York Times that Apple was "an engine of economic growth in the United States" that spent $60 billion last year with 9,000 American suppliers, helping to support 450,000 jobs.

Apple has promised to release a new Mac Pro in 2019, but it's unclear where it will be manufactured.

Update: MacRumors has obtained Apple's full statement regarding this topic, consistent with a press release it has shared on Apple Newsroom:

Apple is proud to be an engine of economic growth in the United States, supporting two million jobs across all fifty states.  Last year our spend with 9,000 American component suppliers and companies increased more than 10 percent to $60 billion, supporting over 450,000 jobs. Every one of our core products contains parts or materials from the US or is made with equipment from US suppliers, and we work with manufacturing locations in 38 states. 

The revolutionary Face ID that unlocks iPhone and iPad Pro is powered in part by vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) made by Finisar in Allen, Texas. iPhone and iPad include glass made by Corning in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. And Broadcom in Fort Collins, Colorado, Qorvo in Hillsboro, Oregon and Skyworks in Woburn, Massachusetts all make parts to enable seamless wireless connectivity around the world.

Last year we confirmed our direct contributions in the US would top $350 billion by 2023 and we are on track to meeting that commitment. From corporate employees and our retail teams, to app developers, manufacturing workers and logistics employees, Apple is creating jobs across the country and we are deeply committed to advancing American innovation.

AppleInsider reports that Apple engineers and key personnel were continuing to show interest in AR (Augmented Reality) technology companies at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.

More than half a dozen incognito Apple representatives, including employees of known subsidiaries, visited AR waveguide suppliers like DigiLens, Lumus, Vuzix and WaveOptics at CES 2019, according to a person with knowledge of the meetings.

Apple has been known to be interested in AR / VR technology for years with reports of hundreds of employees working on the technology. Tim Cook notably said in 2017 that the technology to do AR glasses in a "quality way" didn't yet exist, indicating that they would wait until Apple could deliver the best experience.

Earlier this month, Apple lowered its revenue guidance for the first quarter of the 2019 fiscal year by up to $9 billion due to fewer iPhone upgrades than it anticipated, particularly in the Greater China region.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, however, believes the "worst" will be "soon over" in regards to the slowdown. In his latest research note with TF International Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo opined that the "share prices of Apple and most ‌iPhone‌ suppliers are generally priced in the negative."

Our report published on December 14, 2018, was the first to cut the estimation of 2019 iPhone shipments to 190mn units or less; the current market consensus on 2019 iPhone shipments (160–180mn units) is much lower than our estimation and we believe the share prices of Apple and most iPhone suppliers are generally priced in the negative.

We maintain our forecast of 188–192mn units for 2019 iPhone shipments. We believe the downside risks of share prices for the Apple and iPhone supply chain are limited in the near term given that 2Q19 iPhone shipments will likely be better than the market consensus.

Kuo has slightly cut his estimate for ‌iPhone‌ shipments in the first quarter of 2019 from 38–42 million units to 36–38 million units because the "demand for new models in China and emerging markets is lower than expected," but he believes the decline will begin to ease starting in the second quarter.

Specifically, he estimates ‌iPhone‌ shipments in the second quarter of 2019 will reach 34–37 million units, slightly higher than the market consensus of 30–35 million units. That would still be a roughly 14 percent decline on a year-over-year basis, but far better than an estimated 29 percent drop in the first quarter.

As long as the US-China trade war does not worsen, Kuo expects the improvement to continue into the second half of 2019, with ‌iPhone‌ shipments likely to be generally flat compared to the second half of 2018 thanks to stronger replacement demand, trade-in programs, and market share gain in European markets.

Kuo maintains his forecast of 188–192 million ‌iPhone‌ shipments in 2019.

National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman, and star players Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, sat down with Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller on Thursday to discuss how technology is improving the game of hockey for players, coaches, and fans.

One way the NHL has incorporated technology is by making iPad Pros available behind the bench, providing real-time video footage that helps players make shift-by-shift adjustments during games, and gives coaches a better idea of when to challenge a referee's offside or goaltender interference call.

"We love the collaboration that we have with Apple," said Bettman. "It has helped transform the game without changing the game itself."

"The game has never been as fast as it is," said McDavid. "You get out there, and these guys are flying around. We have two refs that are looking to call penalties, we have two linesmen, and it's not enough. You can't bring more refs. So what are you going to do? You've got to turn to technology."

"I usually use it to prove to Hitch that it wasn't my fault," quipped McDavid, referring to Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock. The comment drew laughs from the audience of about 300 or so Apple employees, according to NHL.com.

Matthews said he and the Leafs coaching staff use the iPads to study the face-off tendencies of opposing players.

Earlier this month, the NHL announced that teams will soon have access to a new Coaching Insights App for iPad developed by the NHL, Apple, and SAP. The app will provide 35 player stats and 30 team stats in real time, such as time on ice, face-off percentages, shot attempts, and chances for and against.

"Our collaboration with Apple and things like the Coaching Insight, which we do with SAP and their cloud platforms, are all designed to make it better for the players, make it better for the coaches and most importantly make it better for the fans," said Bettman. "So we're grateful for all we do together."

The app is expected to be available at some point after the All-Star Game break.

In related news, the NHL brought the Stanley Cup to Apple Park on Wednesday, providing Apple employees with an opportunity to take a photo with the iconic trophy at the company's new headquarters.

Hat tip to Gary Ng at the blog iPhone in Canada.

Following a report last week that Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji was on Intel's list of candidates for CEO, The Motley Fool's Ashraf Eassa says that Srouji has informed his team that he will be staying at Apple.

Eassa, who follows Intel very closely, has offered no other details on the situation, so it's unclear whether Srouji was never seriously considered, withdrew his name, or was passed over as Intel narrowed its list.

Since late 2015, Srouji has been a member of Apple's senior executive staff, reporting directly to Tim Cook and overseeing Apple's custom work on batteries, application processors, storage controllers, sensors silicon, display silicon, and other chipsets.

Earlier today, registration info for seven new iPad models was discovered in the Eurasian Economic Commission Database, and now signs of new iPads and a 7th-generation iPod touch have been found in iOS 12.2.

Developer Steven Troughton-Smith has discovered references to four new ‌iPad‌ models, ranging from ‌iPad‌ 11,1 to ‌iPad‌ 11,4, two of which are WiFi and two of which are cellular. These model numbers do not correspond to any known ‌iPad‌ models.

Troughton-Smith speculates that the ‌iPad‌ model numbers could be new iPad mini devices, which would be in line with rumors suggesting a new ‌iPad mini‌ 5 is in the works. According to Troughton-Smith, none of the iPads have Face ID, which is what we would expect as a new ‌iPad mini‌ is likely to be positioned as an affordable, lower-end device.

There's also a reference to "iPod 9,1," which does not match up with any known iPod touch devices, suggesting it is a new next-generation model. The current sixth-generation iPod touch is "iPod 7,1," for reference. The iPod listed in iOS 12.2 does not appear to have ‌Face ID‌ or Touch ID, which is in line with the current iPod touch.

Previous rumors have indeed suggested Apple is working on a 7th-generation iPod touch, an ‌iPad mini‌ 5, and a new version of the lower-cost 9.7-inch ‌iPad‌, which may actually be upgraded to 10 inches in its next iteration.

We first began hearing about Apple's work on a refreshed ‌iPad mini‌ in late 2018, and since then, chatter has picked up. Rumors have suggested a new fifth-generation ‌iPad mini‌ will be released in the first half of 2019, and with signs showing up in iOS 12.2 and the Eurasian database (where Apple is required to register all new devices), that prediction is sounding more and more accurate.

There's been mixed information about what to expect from an ‌iPad mini‌ update. A case leak suggested a vertical camera and quad speakers, but a photo of an unreleased ‌iPad mini‌, which could be the new ‌iPad mini‌, featured an older A9 processor and a design that's similar to the fourth-generation ‌iPad mini‌.

After Apple released its AirPods in late 2016, other headphone manufacturers have been attempting to compete with their own wire-free earbuds, most of which can't match the AirPods' comfort level, battery life, Bluetooth range, and ease of use.

Jabra is one such company, and its Elite 65t Wireless Earbuds have been named as one of the better AirPods alternatives. In our latest YouTube video, we compared the Jabra Elite 65t Earbuds with the AirPods to see just how they measure up.

That said, they are small and tight fitting in the ear, which is a plus, but the weight makes them uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. Given the snug fit, you can likely use these for working out, though Jabra does offer an "Active" version specifically for that purpose.

Like the AirPods, Jabra's Elite 65t have buttons for doing things like pausing a song or changing the volume, and once you figure them out, the controls are easier than the double tap on the AirPods. One benefit - the Elite 65t look like a "normal" pair of headphones because there's no tail coming down out of your ear like there is with AirPods.

Sound quality is one area where the AirPods fall short, with the Elite 65t offering noticeably better audio. In fact, when it comes to wireless headphones we've tested, Jabra's are some of the best sounding. Jabra offers an app where you can customize the headphones with music presets and an equalizer.

Like AirPods, Jabra's earbuds offer five hours of battery life, with the case serving as a way to store and charge them. Jabra uses micro-USB to charge the case, which is not as convenient as Lightning or USB-C.

There are four microphones in the Elite earbuds, so phone calls sound great, and the microphones are also used for voice commands. The Elite 65t have Alexa support built in, and there are options to use Siri on the iPhone or Google Assistant on Android as alternatives. Apple recently partnered up with Amazon to let Alexa activate Apple Music, but that's only on Echo devices.

Jabra's earbuds are IP55 certified, which means they'll hold up to a bit of moisture, and there are some AirPod-like features, such as an option to pause music when an earbud is removed. In the app, you can also set soundscapes or do things like activate an option to amplify the sounds around you.

The Elite 65t earbuds have some useful features, but as with all AirPods competitors, there's no way Jabra's earbuds can match the functionality added with Apple's proprietary W1 chip. The W1 allows the AirPods to connect to an Apple device automatically, and it extends Bluetooth range quite a bit.

All in all, there are some areas like sound quality where the Elite 65t outperform the AirPods, but when it comes to comfort and ease of use, the AirPods win.

What do you think of Jabra's Elite 65t earbuds? Let us know in the comments.

Apple is rumored to be working on a subscription-based service that will be offered in the Apple News app, and hints of that service were discovered in the iOS 12.2 beta.

Apple in 2018 acquired subscription-based digital magazine app Texture, leading to rumors suggesting Apple would develop a subscription-based news and magazine service.

Apple appears to be testing such a service internally based on images found in iOS 12.2 by 9to5Mac. A hidden landing page indicates Apple is going to call the service "‌Apple News‌ Magazines," with customers able to subscribe in the ‌Apple News‌ app.

Billing appears to be handled through iTunes, much like Apple Music, and there are also reportedly hints of a "bundle subscription," suggesting rumors that Apple will develop an all-in-one subscription option for TV, ‌Apple Music‌, and magazines could be accurate.

The interface for ‌Apple News‌ Magazines is similar in design to Texture. Texture, which is still available via the App Store, provides access to over 200 popular magazines like People, The New Yorker, Time, National Geographic, Shape, Newsweek, and more, all for a $9.99 per month fee.

‌Apple News‌ Magazines could work similarly, though rumors have suggested it will also include news subscription options, and pricing is unclear. In September, Apple was rumored to be aiming to get major newspapers like the Washington Post and the New York Times to join its subscription service.

Late 2018 rumors indicated that Apple would launch its subscription news and magazine service in spring 2019, which could line up with the launch date of iOS 12.2. Apple has also held a March event for the last several years, and if such a service is in the works for spring 2019, a March event would be an ideal time to unveil it.

Early 2019 is also the prospective launch date for Apple's rumored TV streaming service, so it's quite possible both this news service and the TV service will be announced at the same time.