Despite its apparent displeasure with Intel, a report in November claimed that Apple had not considered reopening conversations with Qualcomm about supplying 5G modems for 2020 iPhones. Instead, Apple recently testified that it held conversations with Samsung and MediaTek as potential alternative suppliers.
In a research note obtained by MacRumors today, however, analysts at investment bank Barclays said they "still believe there is a good chance Apple will have to use Qualcomm for the 5G modem in their 2020 phones." They also believe such a deal may result in the two companies settling their ongoing lawsuit.
Apple COO Jeff Williams recently testified that Qualcomm has been unwilling to provide Apple with any new wireless chips since the legal battle began, with each company seemingly trying to gain the upper hand on the other. As of now, neither company appears willing to back down.
Qualcomm is widely considered to be leading the industry with its 5G efforts though, and there's a good chance its 5G modems will outperform similar offerings from Intel, so perhaps the two companies will find a way to settle their differences.
Johnson & Johnson today announced that it has entered into a research study with Apple to investigate whether a new heart health program using a Johnson & Johnson app in combination with the Apple Watch's irregular rhythm notifications and ECG app can accelerate the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation.
The multi-year research program will be launched later in 2019 and aims to analyze the impact of the Apple Watch on the early detection and diagnosis of AFib, and its potential to improve outcomes, including the prevention of stroke.
Apple COO and Apple Watch head Jeff Williams:
Through Apple Watch people have been able to learn more about their heart health, including discovering they have AFib. This kind of information empowers customers to follow up with the right treatment or even better, implement healthy habits aimed at prevention. We're excited to work with Johnson & Johnson, a leader in the medical community, as we learn about the impact Apple Watch can have in delivering better health outcomes.
The program will be limited to the United States for individuals age 65 years or older.
The next-generation iPhone XR will feature a 4x4 MIMO antenna design, according to a Barclays research note obtained by MacRumors.
4x4 MIMO, short for multiple-input, multiple-output, has the potential to significantly improve LTE transmission by increasing the number of data paths between cellular towers and a mobile device to four. Simply put, the next iPhone XR would feature four antennas, allowing for faster data speeds.
A few months ago, PC Magazine reported that the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max have "significantly better" LTE performance than the iPhone XR based on testing conducted by Cellular Insights and Rohde & Schwarz. The difference was especially noticeable in weak signal conditions, the results indicated.
Of course, regardless of how many antennas an iPhone has, data speeds can be affected by factors such as network congestion, distance from the tower, physical obstructions, environmental conditions, and interference.
Google's answer to the iPhone XR appears to be close to launch in the form of a more affordable version of its flagship Pixel 3 smartphone, if a new video leak is accurate.
Andro News apparently got hold of a pre-production unit of the upcoming mid-range phone, which is dubbed Pixel 3 "Lite". The device closely resembles Google's high-end Android phone from the front, but the big difference is its plastic rear, which is likely more durable than the metal and glass chassis on the Pixel 3.
The upcoming phone is said to use a 5.56-inch 2,220 x 1,080 LCD display instead of an OLED panel, along with a Snapdragon 670 processor, 32GB of storage, 4GB of RAM, and a long-life 2,915 mAh battery. Notably, the device also includes a headphone jack, something that was removed for the Pixel 3.
Perhaps the bigger news though is that the "Lite" model uses the same 12-megapixel camera and optically-stabilized lens as the Pixel 3, which has received high praise across the board for its photographic capabilities. (Regular MacRumors readers may recall our Google Pixel 3 XL vs. iPhone XS Max comparison found that the devices offer comparable camera quality overall, with only a few differences between shooting modes.)
Andro News claims the new phone takes "the same quality photos as the Pixel 3," although given that much of Google's image-processing is software based, it's impossible to say how the cheaper model's mid-range Snapdragon SoC will affect real-world camera performance.
Pixel 3 Lite leaked. Same exact camera results as the Pixel 3 proper https://t.co/bGD39kLCCR
With the right price and approach this could be a bit of a hit. But I doubt Google will try to manufacture enough units
— Alex B 📉 (@somospostpc) January 17, 2019
There's been no word on the exact pricing for Google's upcoming Pixel phone, which is expected to come in two sizes, but considering the Pixel 3 starts at $799, there's a good chance the smaller model will undercut Apple's iPhone XR, which starts from $749.
In other differences described in the video leak, the "Lite" model has only one front-facing camera whereas the Pixel 3 has two, the additional autofocus sensor on the back is missing, and there's no additional front-facing speaker on the "Lite".
Google usually makes its big hardware announcements during Google I/O which is held in the spring, so we'll probably have to wait until then for more information unless the leaks keep coming.
Apple is said to be launching two new tablets in the first half of this year, including the rumored "iPad mini 5" as well as a likely replacement for its current entry-level iPad.
DigiTimes made the claim today in a report highlighting stable shipment expectations for Apple's touch panel suppliers, Taiwan-based General Interface Solution (GIS) and TPK Holding.
Apple reportedly plans to launch two entry-level tablets in the first half of 2019, including a fifth-generation iPad mini and another entry-level iPad model, said the sources.
The claim follows a rumor carried last month by the China Times that Apple is preparing to launch a new iPad mini in the first half of 2019, followed by a new entry-level iPad in two versions, with at least one featuring a 10-inch display within a narrower frame.
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed in October that Apple is working on a new version of the iPad mini with an upgraded processor and a lower-cost display panel, with the device being launched in 2018 or 2019.
Ironically, Kuo's prediction came two months after DigiTimes said it did not believe Apple plans to introduce an updated iPad mini, and in fact has "no further plan" for the smaller tablet.
An alleged case for the next-generation iPad mini also surfaced in December that featured a vertical camera cutout, suggesting a camera arrangement similar to the iPad Pro with a rear flash, and a center microphone cutout.
Apple hasn't updated its smallest iPad since September 2015, but the device did receive a price cut in March 2017, with a 128GB capacity model costing $399.
As for the entry-level iPad, Apple was previously reported to be launching the two new low-priced versions in 2019 to boost the sales growth of its affordable tablet options. The 9.7-inch iPad was last updated in March 2018 and in the same month the year before that.
Today's DigiTimes report cites industry sources claiming GIS will supply over 40 percent of the touch panels for the new iPads, while TPK and China-based O-film Technology will provide the remaining 60 percent.
If the screen of your iPhone or iPad is too bright for comfort, the usual solution is to go to Settings -> Display & Brightness and drag the Brightness slider to the left, or open Control Center and adjust the corresponding setting from there.
However, if the lowest setting offered by the Brightness level just isn't dim enough for you, there are a couple of ways to make your screen even darker. One method we've covered previously is to adjust white point using the Accessibility Shortcut. Another way is to enable a low light filter, which you can do by following the steps below.
Launch the Settings app on your iOS device.
Tap General.
Tap Accessibility.
Tap Zoom.
Tap Zoom Region.
Select Full Screen Zoom and return to the main Zoom menu.
Tap Zoom Filter.
Select Low Light and return to the main Zoom menu.
Now, turn on Zoom by toggling the switch at the top of the Zoom menu.
Double-tap the screen with three fingers to zoom out to fullscreen.
Your device's display brightness should now be extra dim. Note that you can disable the low light filter at any time: Simply triple-tap the screen with three fingers, tap Choose Filter from the overlay panel and then select None.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) on Wednesday introduced the American Data Dissemination Act, legislation that would require the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to submit detailed recommendations for privacy requirements that Congress can impose on tech companies like Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter.
The bill is intended to address the lack of a single, comprehensive federal law regulating the collection and use of personal data in the United States with clear protections that consumers can understand and the FTC can enforce.
Well timed with the news, Apple CEO Tim Cook has penned an op-ed for Time Magazine calling on Congress to pass comprehensive federal privacy legislation in the United States. He also challenges companies to strip identifying information from customer data or avoid collecting it in the first place.
In the op-ed, Cook said he believes "data broker" companies that collect, package, and sell personal information should be required to register with the FTC and provide critical transparency information to the agency, and that consumers should have the power to easily access and delete that data if desired.
"Right now, all of these secondary markets for your information exist in a shadow economy that's largely unchecked," wrote Cook.
In 2014, the FTC published a report stating that "data brokers collect and store a vast amount of data on almost every U.S. household." Of the nine data brokers it examined, the FTC said one had a database with "information on 1.4 billion consumer transactions and over 700 billion aggregated data elements."
Cook's full op-ed was provided to MacRumors in advance:
In 2019, it's time to stand up for the right to privacy—yours, mine, all of ours. Consumers shouldn't have to tolerate another year of companies irresponsibly amassing huge user profiles, data breaches that seem out of control and the vanishing ability to control our own digital lives.
This problem is solvable—it isn't too big, too challenging or too late. Innovation, breakthrough ideas and great features can go hand in hand with user privacy—and they must. Realizing technology's potential depends on it.
That's why I and others are calling on the U.S. Congress to pass comprehensive federal privacy legislation—a landmark package of reforms that protect and empower the consumer. Last year, before a global body of privacy regulators, I laid out four principles that I believe should guide legislation:
First, the right to have personal data minimized. Companies should challenge themselves to strip identifying information from customer data or avoid collecting it in the first place. Second, the right to knowledge—to know what data is being collected and why. Third, the right to access. Companies should make it easy for you to access, correct and delete your personal data. And fourth, the right to data security, without which trust is impossible.
But laws alone aren't enough to ensure that individuals can make use of their privacy rights. We also need to give people tools that they can use to take action. To that end, here's an idea that could make a real difference.
One of the biggest challenges in protecting privacy is that many of the violations are invisible. For example, you might have bought a product from an online retailer—something most of us have done. But what the retailer doesn't tell you is that it then turned around and sold or transferred information about your purchase to a "data broker"—a company that exists purely to collect your information, package it, and sell it to yet another buyer.
The trail disappears before you even know there is a trail. Right now, all of these secondary markets for your information exist in a shadow economy that's largely unchecked—out of sight of consumers, regulators, and lawmakers.
Let's be clear: you never signed up for that. We think every user should have the chance to say, "Wait a minute. That's my information that you're selling, and I didn't consent."
Meaningful, comprehensive federal privacy legislation should not only aim to put consumers in control of their data, it should also shine a light on actors trafficking in your data behind the scenes. Some state laws are looking to accomplish just that, but right now there is no federal standard protecting Americans from these practices. That's why we believe the Federal Trade Commission should establish a data-broker clearinghouse, requiring all data brokers to register, enabling consumers to track the transactions that have bundled and sold their data from place to place, and giving users the power to delete their data on demand, freely, easily and online, once and for all.
As this debate kicks off, there will be plenty of proposals and competing interests for policymakers to consider. We cannot lose sight of the most important constituency: individuals trying to win back their right to privacy. Technology has the potential to keep changing the world for the better, but it will never achieve that potential without the full faith and confidence of the people who use it.
Cook's op-ed is consistent with Apple's belief that privacy is a "fundamental human right." Apple aims to "minimize its collection of personal data," according to its privacy website, and stresses that the "the customer is not our product."
Apple emphasized its commitment to privacy with a billboard near CES 2019 that read "what happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone."
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.
Samsung is planning to announce its new 2019 flagship smartphones on February 20, but ahead of their debut date, benchmarks of the new S10+ model were shared on Slashleaks.
According to the data, Apple's current crop of iPhones, equipped with A12 chips, will outperform the Snapdragon 855 processor in Samsung's smartphone.
The Galaxy S10+, which features 6GB RAM, earned a single-core Geekbench 4 score of 3413 and a multi-core score of 10256.
Comparatively, the A12 Bionic chip in the iPhone XS features a single-core Geekbench score of 4797 and a multi-core score score of 11264.
Apple's A-series chips often outperform the Qualcomm chips that Samsung uses because Apple is designing its chips in house and is able to offer tighter integration between hardware and software. As AnandTech explained in a review of the iPhone XS and XS Max, Apple's chips are also far more efficient:
Overall the new A12 Vortex cores and the architectural improvements on the SoC's memory subsystem give Apple's new piece of silicon a much higher performance advantage than Apple's marketing materials promote. The contrast to the best Android SoCs have to offer is extremely stark - both in terms of performance as well as in power efficiency. Apple's SoCs have better energy efficiency than all recent Android SoCs while having a nearly 2x performance advantage. I wouldn't be surprised that if we were to normalise for energy used, Apple would have a 3x performance efficiency lead.
While benchmarks are often not reflective of real world usage, the data does suggest that Apple's 2018 iPhones will be a good deal faster than Samsung's 2019 smartphones. Given that both the A12 and the Snapdragon 855 are super fast processors able to handle gaming and day to day tasks with ease, Android users won't be at a serious disadvantage.
Since Samsung hasn't released the Galaxy S10+, there's still a chance these details could be off, but it's unlikely since we're quite close to the debut of the device.
Apple plans to cut back on hiring for some divisions of the company after disappointing iPhone sales during the holiday season, reports Bloomberg.
Apple CEO Tim Cook shared the news with employees at an all-hands meeting earlier this month. According to sources in attendance, Cook was asked if Apple would implement a hiring freeze, but he said that he didn't believe that was an ideal solution. Instead, select divisions will see reduced hirings.
Cook at the time said Apple had not yet determined which divisions would cut back on hiring, but groups like the AI team will continue to add employees. Cook also told employees that a division's importance to the future of Apple is not measured through hiring rates.
It's not clear how extensive the hiring reduction will be, but new Apple offices planned in Austin, Texas and Los Angeles, California will not be impacted. In 2018, Apple added 9,000 new employees, and in 2017, Apple added 7,000 new employees. According to a recent SEC filing, Apple employs a total of 132,000 people, including its retail locations.
Apple's workforce over the past 10 years, chart via Bloomberg
Apple is expecting revenue of $84 billion for Q1 2019, down from a November estimate of $89 to $93 billion and a $4.3 billion drop from the year-ago quarter.
Cook provided multiple reasons for the drop, including iPhone XS, XS Max and XR launch timing, a strong U.S. dollar, supply constraints, economic weakness and trade tensions in China, and weak iPhone upgrade numbers due to fewer carrier subsidies and low-priced battery replacements.
According to Bloomberg, internally, Apple executives have positioned declining iPhone sales as an opportunity for innovation, and Apple is also planning to bolster its growing services category with third-party integrations and an upcoming streaming TV service.
Following Cook's talk with employees, some Apple senior vice presidents held separate meetings with vice presidents, senior directors and other managers in their groups to emphasize that the iPhone sales slowdown is an opportunity for new innovation, according to one of the people.
Apple's 2019 iPhones could feature upgraded front-facing and rear cameras, redesigned internal layouts, and Lightning ports, according to new details known leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka OnLeaks) shared with Indian site ComparaRaja.
Over the course of the past week, Hemmerstoffer has shown off two possible prototype iPhone designs Apple is allegedly working on, featuring different three camera layouts. Today he's offering up additional information on the cameras we can expect to see in the triple-lens model, which rumors have suggested will be a 6.5-inch OLED iPhone XS Max successor.
One of the alleged triple-lens 2019 iPhone prototypes
One rear camera will be 10 megapixels, while a second will come in at 14 megapixels. The details of the third sensor are apparently unknown. Right now, the iPhone XS and XS Max use two 12-megapixel cameras, one that's telephoto and one that's wide-angle.
Apple will presumably continue using both telephoto and wide-angle lenses, but this information isn't included in the report. The renderings shared by Hemmerstoffer allege that Apple is still trying to decide between a horizontal triple lens camera layout or a square-shaped layout that would position the lenses vertically but staggered.
The front-facing TrueDepth camera system will reportedly use a 10-megapixel camera, up from 7 megapixels in the current version. Prior rumors and renderings have suggested the TrueDepth camera will take up less space on the iPhone's display thanks to optimizations, allowing Apple to implement a smaller notch.
Internally, the 2019 iPhone with a triple-lens camera is said to have a redesigned internal layout with a "less L-shaped battery" that's "almost a big square" with the "logic board located above the battery."
The other the alleged triple-lens 2019 iPhone prototype
Hemmerstoffer says that the two prototype designs he's shared renderings for do not feature USB-C ports, despite rumors suggesting Apple could transition from Lightning to USB-C in the 2019 iPhones.
All of the information from Hemmerstoffer is sourced from these two alleged prototype iPhones that he says are "still in the EVT stage" and have yet to be finalized, so it's not clear yet if this information is accurate.
None of these details have been confirmed by a second source at this point in time either, so we'll need to wait for further leaks to get a clearer picture of the features included in the 2019 iPhone lineup.
Apple yesterday debuted new Smart Battery Cases for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, and review units are in the hands of members of the media and some lucky people who received early deliveries.
Many iPhone X users have been wondering if the iPhone XS Smart Battery Case will work with the older model given that the two devices are nearly identical in design, and the answer appears to be yes, though there is some uncertainty.
This morning, iMore's Rene Ritchie put an iPhone X running iOS 12.1.2 in an iPhone XS Smart Battery Case and received an error suggesting the iPhone X was not compatible with the case.
He updated the iPhone X to iOS 12.1.3, however, and was able to get the iPhone X to charge in the iPhone XS Smart Battery Case. He also now says that the iPhone X will charge with the Battery Case if the incompatibility popup is dismissed.
Update: iOS 12.1.2 DID NOT work for me with iOS XS case. iOS 12.1.13 DOES work for me.
iPhone XS Max case DOES charge X for @chriswelch on iOS 12.1.2. It DOES NOT for me, even on 12.1.13.
So, um… 🤷♂️
More testing! https://t.co/H1kk031Z5d
— Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) January 16, 2019
Ok, here’s the 💯 correct info:
You CAN use iPhone XS battery case with iPhone X. You may get that incompatibility pop up. But, if you dismiss it, it should charge fine. (Update iOS/reboot if not.)
(Speaker/mics still won’t be aligned, if you care about acoustic performance.) pic.twitter.com/05IQyUctcQ
— Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) January 16, 2019
A MacRumorsreader was also able to get the iPhone X to charge in an iPhone XS Smart Battery Case, and Chris Welch of The Verge said in his testing, the iPhone X was able to charge an iPhone X running iOS 12.1.2 in an iPhone XS Max Smart Battery Case.
Nothing but XS Max charges in my XS Max case, not even XS or XR. What version of iOS?
— Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) January 16, 2019
So it appears, based on this limited amount of testing, that the iPhone X is going to charge in an iPhone XS Smart Battery Case, though there could be some compatibility issues on iOS 12.1.2. If the case doesn't charge the iPhone X, as Ritchie suggested, you can restart the iPhone or update to iOS 12.1.3 to get it working.
It is worth noting that while the iPhone X may charge in the iPhone XS Battery Case, the fit is imprecise. The speaker and microphone holes do not line up, and the camera cutout is a bit off.
Apple's Smart Battery Cases for the iPhone XS, XS Max, (and presumably XR), feature 10.1Whr batteries that extend the life of each iPhone.
The iPhone XS Max normally offers up to 25 hours talk time, 15 hours of internet use, and 15 hours of video playback, which is extended to 37 hours of talk time, 20 hours of internet, and 25 hours of video playback with the Smart Battery Case.
The iPhone XS alone features up to 20 hours of talk time, 12 hours of internet use, and 14 hours of video playback, which is extended to 33 hours of talk time, 21 hours of internet use, and 25 hours of video playback with the Smart Battery Case.
The iPhone XR features up to 25 hours of talk time, 15 hours of internet use, and 16 hours of video playback, which is extended to 39 hours of talk time, 22 hours of internet use, and 27 hours of video playback.
Well-known producer, writer, and show creator Jason Katims has departed Universal TV after inking a multi-year deal with Apple, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Under the exclusive deal, which kicks off this summer, Katims will create content for Apple under his True Jack Productions banner.
Katims has been responsible for many high-profile television shows, including "Parenthood," "Friday Night Lights," "Roswell," "Rise," and "About a Boy."
He will continue to work on "Away" and "Sisters," two projects that he has in the works with Universal TV, but future content will be exclusive to Apple.
Katims is rejoining Michelle Lee, who formerly served as head of development at True Jack before moving on to Apple's creative development team.
Apple has signed deals with multiple high-profile figures and companies in the TV industry for its upcoming streaming service. Apple is partnering with film studio A24, Oprah, and Sesame Workshop.
The company also already has multiple television shows in the works, with a full list available in our Apple TV roundup.
While reports today suggested that Apple's new Smart Battery Cases for the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max have lower battery capacities than previous versions for iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 models, it turns out the new cases actually have larger capacities than the old ones when taking voltage into consideration.
The new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max cases are rated at 1,369 mAh, lower than the iPhone 6/6s case at 1,877 mAh and iPhone 7 case at 2,365 mAh, but according to Rene Ritchie, there are actually two such cells in the case.
As a result, the new cases run at a higher voltage that yields a total of 10.1 Wh of energy compared to 7.13 Wh for the iPhone 6/6s case and 8.98 Wh for the iPhone 7 case.
Also, New Battery Cases have more/higher density batteries than previous generations.
They use 2 cells now instead of 1. So, you’re getting around 1.4 additional watt hours and almost 400 more milliamp hours.
BUT power efficiency is WAY more important than quantity these days. pic.twitter.com/VfZCaVWPz8
— Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) January 16, 2019
Some more context: while the mAh rating is lower, the Wh rating (10.1 Wh) is higher because it’s operating at a higher voltage. 7.13 on 6, 8.98 on 7 (they didn’t list V).
My colleague @marksmirniotis goes into the differences between the measurements: https://t.co/BdqeWpLr3fhttps://t.co/rW9LYJzjzW
— Nick Guy (@thenickguy) January 16, 2019
Paired with Smart Battery Cases, Apple says the iPhone XS gets up to 33 hours of talk time, up to 21 hours of internet use, and up to 25 hours of video playback, while the iPhone XS Max gets up to 37 hours of talk time, up to 20 hours of internet use, and up to 25 hours of video playback.
Of course, real-world testing will prove more valuable than tech specs, so we'll see how the new cases truly stack up in the coming days.
Apple introduced Smart Battery Cases for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR yesterday. All three are priced at $129 in the United States, with deliveries and in-store availability slated to begin this week. Apple says the cases are not compatible with the iPhone X, but results have varied so far.
Sprint today announced that customers can now chat directly with its support representatives using Apple Business Chat.
Sprint customers can use Apple Business Chat to message an agent, learn about Sprint plans, and more at any time of the day or night, according to the carrier. Customers can start, stop, and resume conversations at any time.
Apple Business Chat launched in iOS 11.3 in March 2018, enabling iPhone and iPad users to ask for information, schedule appointments, make purchases, and complete other customer service tasks directly in the Messages app.
Business Chats must be initiated on an iPhone or iPad, but they can be continued on any other iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch signed into the same Apple ID. To use the feature with Sprint, visit the "Contact Us" page on Sprint.com, or search for a Sprint store using Siri, Safari, or Apple Maps, and tap the Messages icon.
Apple Business Chat uses features from the My Sprint Mobile app for easy account authentication and access, according to Sprint.
In related news, TD Ameritrade this week announced that individual investors can now instantly fund a brokerage account with Apple Pay through Apple Business Chat, an industry first. Dealerships that use the customer service platform Gubagoo can now use Apple Business Chat as well, it was announced.
Apple Business Chat is now available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The service has been adopted by over 30 companies, such as The Home Depot, Lowe's, Hilton, Wells Fargo, DISH Network, and Burberry.
Apple is in talks with at least three private Medicare plans in regards to subsidizing the Apple Watch for people over the age of 65. The news comes from a report today by CNBC, citing sources familiar with Apple's plans.
The discussions are centered around subsidizing the cost of an Apple Watch Series 3 or Series 4 -- which currently start at $279 for the Series 3 38mm Aluminum version -- for older Medicare users who can't afford the cost of the device. Series 4 models would be most beneficial for elderly users, thanks to the new fall detection and ECG features.
Apple's talks with the Medicare companies have not resulted in any official deals yet. The Cupertino company has paid visits to several large insurers in the market, as well as some smaller Medicare Advantage plans, but no specific names of the insurers were given.
“Avoiding one emergency room visit would more than pay for the device,” said Bob Sheehy, CEO of Bright Health, an insurance start-up with a Medicare Advantage plan and the former CEO of United Healthcare.
Apple Watch has been associated with insurance coverage a few times in the past, including discounted versions of the wearable offered to Aetna insurance customers. Apple's device was also integrated into the United Healthcare wellness program, providing participants access to an Apple Watch that they could use to earn up to $1,000 in incentives per year by meeting daily walking goals.
Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey will be the keynote speaker at TRANSACT, the world's largest payments technology event.
Bailey, who leads the Apple Pay team under Apple services chief Eddy Cue, will discuss how Apple is bringing customers and merchants an "easy, convenient, and secure payments experience," according to the announcement.
"I'm thrilled to talk to the payments industry at TRANSACT," said Bailey. "We have a great story to tell about how we are working to bring customers even better payment experiences in all aspects of their daily lives."
TRANSACT, hosted by the Electronic Transactions Association, runs April 30 through May 2 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Apple Pay has been gradually expanding across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The service launched in Belgium and Kazakhstan in November, made its long-awaited debut in Germany last month, and is "coming soon" in Saudi Arabia. Reports suggest the service will also launch in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia soon.
Apple Pay first launched in the United States in October 2014 and has since expanded to many regions, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Belgium, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Russia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland, Ireland, and Ukraine.
Warner Bros' Westworld mobile game, which bore a notable resemblance to Bethesda Softworks' Fallout Shelter game for smartphones, has been removed from the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. The removal comes seven months after Bethesda sued Warner Bros by calling the Westworld app a "blatant rip-off" of Bethesda's 2015 game Fallout Shelter.
Westworld on iOS
The lawsuit centered around Behaviour Interactive, the game developer that worked on both Fallout Shelter and Westworld, and who Bethesda accused of breach of contract, copyright infringement, unfair competition, and misappropriation of trade secrets. The dispute continued into the year, and in early January 2019 the companies released a simple one-line statement that said both parties "have amicably resolved" the lawsuit.
After all of this, the @WestworldMobile Twitter account this week released its own statement, noting that the game has been removed from the iOS App Store and Google Play Store as of January 15, 2019. This means players can no longer make in-app purchases. On April 16, 2019, the app will officially close and no longer be supported by the developers. The developers warn players to spend any in-game currency before that date.
In the original lawsuit, Bethesda requested the Westworld mobile game to be removed from distribution, so it appears that part of the amicable resolution to the case was the official discontinuation of Westworld on iOS and Android. Users on Twitter asked about potential refunds for the in-app purchases they've already made in the game, but the company has yet to respond regarding this matter.
For those unaware, the similarities between Fallout Shelter and Westworld were striking. Both games task the player with building an underground base of some kind, stocked with interactive characters from a well-known property, and micro-managing small tasks to keep their shelter/Delos facility up and running. Most damning for Westworld and Behaviour Interactive was the discovery that the developer appeared to use the same copyrighted computer code from Fallout Shelter inside of Westworld, down to both games having the same unique bug.
Fallout Shelter on iOS
Although Westworld has been removed from the iOS App Store, it still remains online for now, so players who already downloaded it have three months to play the game while it remains online through April 16.
The listing remains live as of Wednesday morning, noting that the Smart Battery Case is "compatible with AirPower Wireless Charging Mat and other Qi‑certified chargers." The case's description in the United States and other countries we checked only mentions compatibility with Qi-certified chargers.
For the sake of covering all bases, there is a possibility the report about mass production was inaccurate and that Apple prepared the Smart Battery Case product description before abandoning its AirPower plans, but simply forgot to scrub the word AirPower from a single product description in a few countries.
AirPower is not mentioned on any other Smart Battery Case product pages in Malaysia, the United States, or other countries we checked.
Back in October, however, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the AirPower may be released by the early first quarter of 2019, while developer Steve Troughton-Smith recently said he has heard Apple may have overcome technical challenges with the AirPower and could presumably move forward with a release.
AirPower would be able to inductively charge multiple Apple devices at once, including the iPhone 8 and newer, Apple Watch Series 3 and newer, and AirPods placed in an as-of-yet unreleased charging case listed as "currently unavailable." Apple unveiled the accessory at its September 2017 event alongside the iPhone X.
Update: AirPower does not appear to be referenced in the iPhone XS Smart Battery Case user guide, according to Rene Ritchie.
Update 2: Apple has now removed the AirPower reference from the Malaysian page.
Well-known producer, writer, and show creator Jason Katims has departed Universal TV after inking a multi-year deal with Apple, according to 
Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey will be the keynote speaker at 
