Apple captured a record 51 percent share of revenue in the worldwide smartphone industry last quarter, which encompassed the launch of the iPhone X, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.
iPhone revenue totaled $61.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017, as Apple disclosed in its earnings report earlier this month. Strategy Analytics estimates Apple's smartphone revenue was three times higher than its nearest rival Samsung and seven times more than Chinese competitor Huawei.
Apple accounted for more smartphone revenue than the rest of the entire industry combined in the quarter, driven by "solid demand" for the iPhone X, said Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston.
iPhone's average selling price was $796 last quarter, up from $695 in year-ago quarter, which Strategy Analytics estimates to be almost three times higher than the overall industry average. Apple sold 77.3 million iPhones in the quarter, but it didn't disclose how many of those sales were iPhone X models.
Priced at $999 and up, the iPhone X has undoubtedly helped Apple increase its revenue share in the smartphone industry. What's more important is profits, however, and the iPhone often accounts for over 100 percent of net income in the smartphone industry when factoring in the losses posted by some rivals.
A recently discovered bug that causes app and system crashing on iPhone, iPad, and Mac due to a specific letter in the Indian language Telugu has been fixed in Apple's upcoming iOS 11.3 and macOS 10.13.4 software updates.
MacRumors has not been able to reproduce any crashes, freezes, or resprings on any devices running the latest iOS 11.3 and macOS 10.13.4 betas when the particular letter is present anywhere across the systems, as the upcoming software versions can now display the affected character properly.
On earlier software versions, including the latest publicly released versions iOS 11.2.5 and macOS 10.13.3, it appears that Apple devices are unable to render the Indian character for some reason, causing apps or the entire system to abruptly crash depending on where it is trying to be displayed.
If the character is sent in an iMessage, for example, the recipient's Messages app will crash when the conversation is opened. Likewise, if the character is pasted into the Safari or Chrome address bar on Mac, the browsers crash. This behavior extends to virtually any system text field on iOS and macOS, resulting in many third-party apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger being affected as well.
Even worse, some users have found that if the character is displayed in an iOS notification, it can cause an entire iPhone or iPad to respring, and in worst-case scenarios, restoring in DFU mode is the only possible solution.
If you've already received the letter and can no longer open Messages, try having a friend message you, which may allow you to regain access to the app and delete the conversation with the bad character. If not, consider enrolling in Apple's free public beta program and upgrade to iOS 11.3 or macOS 10.13.4 beta.
MacRumors was alerted about this bug by developer Peter Steinberger on Monday, and it was submitted to Open Radar by developer Igor Bulyga on the same day. We elected not to report on the bug at the time to avoid contributing to its spread, since it can be used maliciously and a fix will be widely available soon.
The bug has received widespread attention today, so we wanted to acknowledge that Apple is aware of the issue and has implemented a fix. iOS 11.3 and macOS 10.13.4 should be publicly released by the end of March, but it's very possible we'll see minor updates pushed out with fixes in the near term.
These kinds of bugs have surfaced several times in the past, with text strings, videos, and more crashing the Messages app and causing other glitches. Just last month, a link to a GitHub page surfaced that froze the Messages app when received.
Gamevice today announced the launch of a new Minecraft-themed controller bundle, which comes with a standard Gamevice controller, a Gamevice carrying case, and a code to download Minecraft on iOS.
For those unfamiliar with Gamevice, the company makes gaming controllers designed for the iPhone and the iPad. Gamevice controllers wrap around an iOS device, offering access to a d-pad, two joystick, and buttons to allow gamers to play iOS games with physical controls.
The Minecraft version of the Gamevice works with iPhone 6, 6s, 7, 7s, 8, and X models, along with Plus versions of those devices. At $89.95, the Minecraft bundle is $10 more expensive than the standard Gamevice controller, but the Minecraft iOS code is worth $6.99 and the carrying case is an added bonus.
"Minecraft is one of the greatest games of all time and playing Minecraft with Gamevice puts mobile players on equal ground with PC and console players. said Phillip Hyun, CEO, Gamevice. "Gamevice offers low latency and precision control, delivering a console quality experience to more than one thousand different games including Mojang's masterpiece."
The Gamevice controllers, Minecraft controller included, work with more than 1,000 iOS games, including several games that have been optimized for iPhone X.
Microsoft today released Photos Companion, an iOS app specially made for Windows 10 users to let them transfer photos from their Apple devices to PCs more easily. First circulated among beta testers in November, Photos Companion links with Windows 10's built-in photos app by way of a QR code, after which multiple photos can be sent over the same Wi-Fi network.
Microsoft hopes the app – the result of a Microsoft Garage project – will appeal primarily to students who don't back up their photos to a cloud service such as the company's own OneDrive, but need a convenient way to get content from their smartphones to Windows machines in an education setting.
We began developing a simple, experimental app for iOS and Android to see if we could unblock educators and help them begin using the Photos app in their classrooms. We knew that students often captured on multiple phones or tablets, but leveraged a single "project" PC to assemble their media and create their final project. We also knew that Wi-Fi access in the classroom was great between devices, but that any solution that required the cloud for transfer could be blocked by overloaded networks.
Our solution was to build an app that would support direct wireless transfer between any phone or mobile device and the Photos app on any Windows 10 PC. This would enable students to transfer media to their own computers … or to a shared, project PC … without worrying about network speeds or mobile data charges.
The app is part of Microsoft's wider mobile strategy to improve its iOS offerings, now that Windows 10 Mobile hardware is no longer a focus for the company. Microsoft officially ended support for Windows Phone back in July, and is no longer developing new features or hardware for Windows 10 Mobile.
It costs Apple an estimated $216 in raw components to build the HomePod, which sells for $349, according to research conducted by TechInsights and shared by Bloomberg.
Internal components like the microphones, tweeter, woofer, and power management chips cost Apple an estimated $58, while smaller components like the lighting system used for Siri and other animations cost $60. The A8 chip, which powers the speaker's spatial awareness, Siri features, sound adjustments, and other smart features, costs an estimated $25.
TechInsights believes the external housing and other exterior components add up to $25, while manufacturing, testing, and packaging cost an additional $17.50.
At $216 for parts and a $349 selling point, the HomePod brings in less money for each device sold than other Apple products like the iPhone. The $999 iPhone X, for example, uses components estimated to cost $357.50, and the entry-level iPhone 8 costs Apple an estimated $247.51 to make but sells for $699.
HomePod also has a smaller profit margin than competing speaker products from other companies. TechInsights says that while the HomePod has a profit margin of 38 percent based on component costs, the Google Home and Amazon Echo have margins of 66 and 56 percent, respectively. Both of those speakers use less expensive components and were not created with sound quality as the primary focus.
"Apple is compressing their margins a bit, wanting to go big or go home," said Al Cowsky, TechInsight's costing manager. "In doing so, I suspect they reduced the selling price from a normal Apple margin in order to sell more units on volume."
Component costs reports from companies like TechInsights do not take into account expenses like research and development, software creation, and other related costs, and can't be counted as an accurate look at Apple's profit margin for any given product.
Back in 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook said cost estimates are often "much different from reality." "I've never seen one that is anywhere close to being accurate," he said.
iOS 11 introduced handy new drag and drop features on the iPad, that let you drag photos, files, links, and more between apps. What you might not know, though, is that drag and drop also works for blocks of text.
Instead of copying and pasting text on the iPad, you can select a block of text and then drag it right into another app using the drag and drop features.
Here's how:
Select a line or paragraph of text, making sure it's highlighted.
Hold a finger on the highlighted text until it pops off the page.
Drag the resulting text bubble into a new app.
In apps like Messages, where you can't highlight text, all you need to do is hold down and drag, skipping the selection step.
In addition to moving text between apps, drag and drop is also useful for copying and rearranging blocks of texts within a single app, like Notes or Pages.
You can also use this drag and drop feature with text on the iPhone, but only within the same app, rather than between two apps. The procedure on the iPhone is the same: simply select text and then hold down until it pops up into a little bubble that can be moved elsewhere within the app.
Days after the HomePod was released, there are still some new HomePod owners who are unable to use their new speakers due to HomeKit and Wi-Fi-related setup errors.
Because it's controlled entirely through Apple's Home app, HomePod connects to HomeKit and relies on a functional HomeKit setup to function properly. Based on reports on Reddit, the Apple Support Communities, and the MacRumors forums, there are a handful of different errors people are running into.
The most common issue seems to be error -6722 or a blank white screen when setting up HomePod, caused by a bugged HomeKit setup. According a HomePod troubleshooting document Apple published this week, there are several possible fixes for the issue.
First and foremost, devices need to be running the latest version of iOS (iOS 11.2.5 or iOS 11.3 if you're on a beta) and both the Music and Home apps need to be installed on your device. HomePod also requires both two-factor authentication and iCloud Keychain to be turned on.
If these settings are enabled and you're still seeing the error message and a screen in the Home app that says "Loading Accessories and Scenes," Apple says to let the Home app load for 30 minutes or longer until an option to erase and reset app comes up. It's not immediately clear that you need to run the app for so long to get to that erase option, so make sure to leave it open and running for the full period of time to get to the reset menu.
We had our own issues here at MacRumors, and one of our HomePod setups wasn't fully functional. We weren't running into the error message above, but none of the HomePod's settings were available. We were able to fix this issue by opening up the Home app, tapping the location arrow at the top left of the device, and choosing the "Remove Home" option to nix our current HomeKit setup.
After doing that and creating a new Home with a HomeKit device before attempting to re-add the HomePod, we were able to successfully set up the HomePod with HomeKit, so that's something other HomePod users with issues might want to try.
Other people have had success resetting the HomePod and trying again, logging out of iCloud, and resetting Wi-Fi, but redoing the HomeKit setup entirely seems to be the most reliable fix. There are. however, instances where even these fixes have not worked for a bugged HomeKit setup, and in that situation, you're going to need to get in touch with Apple Support for more advanced troubleshooting.
If you're running into a different setup issue, such as a failed Wi-Fi connection, it's worth noting that HomePod requires a WPA/WPA 2 Wi-Fi network. Some MacRumors readers were having problems with HomePod not properly recognizing their WPA network, and a reliable fix appears to be unplugging the HomePod and tweaking Wi-Fi settings to disable both auto join and audio login. HomePod does not work with Enterprise Wi-Fi setups or public or subscription networks with sign-in requirements.
Having ongoing HomePod issues with your own HomeKit setup? Let us know in the comments.
Apple today updated its online store for refurbished products in the United States to add a selection of Apple Watch Series 3 models, marking the first time Apple's newest wrist-worn device has been available from the refurbished store since its September 2017 release.
As of the writing of this article, there are two refurbished Apple Watch Series 3 GPS-only models available at a $50 discount, which equates to 13 to 15 percent off of the regular price. No LTE models or models with stainless steel or ceramic cases are available at this time.
The Apple Watch Series 3, first introduced last September alongside new iPhones, is the first Apple Watch model to offer an option for LTE connectivity. Compared to earlier Apple Watch versions, the Series 3 also comes equipped with a faster dual-core S3 processor and an Apple-designed W2 chip for 85 percent faster Wi-Fi
Apple Watch Series 3 refurbished stock is limited at this time, but Apple refreshes available units on a regular basis, so it's worth keeping an eye on the refurbished store if you're looking for a discount on a particular model.
All of Apple's refurbished products go through a rigorous refurbishment process before being offered for sale, which includes inspection, repairs, cleaning, and repackaging. Refurbished Apple Watch models come with a one-year warranty that can be extended with an AppleCare+ purchase.
For tips on purchasing a refurbished product, make sure to check out our guide.
Apple has issued a statement confirming that the HomePod can possibly leave white rings on wood surfaces with an oil or wax finish.
Image: Wirecutter
The strange discovery was brought to light in HomePod reviews published by Wirecutter and Pocket-lint, as highlighted by VentureBeat, while at least one customer shared a picture of the same problem on Twitter.
Pocket-lint's Stuart Miles:
For our tests we placed the speaker on a solid oak kitchen worktop treated with Danish oil.
Within 20 minutes the HomePod had caused a white discoloured ring to appear on the wood that some days later has faded, although still hasn't completely disappeared.
We subsequently tested the HomePod on other materials: the same wood that hadn't been treated with Danish oil and a regular lacquered desk and haven't seen the same issues.
Apple told Pocket-lint that it is "not unusual" for a speaker with a silicone base to leave a "mild mark" when placed on certain oiled or waxed surfaces, suggesting the rings are caused by chemical interactions with treated wood.
Image: Pocket-lint
Apple told Wirecutter that "the marks can improve over several days after the speaker is removed from the wood surface." If not, Apple recommends "cleaning the surface with the manufacturer's suggested oiling method."
The HomePod can damage wood furniture: An unhappy discovery after we placed a HomePod on an oiled butcher-block countertop and later on a wooden side table was that it left a defined white ring in the surface. Other reviewers and owners have reported the same issue, which an Apple representative has confirmed. Apple says "the marks can improve over several days after the speaker is removed from the wood surface," and if they don’t fade on their own, you can basically just go refinish the furniture—the exact advice Apple gave in an email to Wirecutter was to "try cleaning the surface with the manufacturer's suggested oiling method."
It's unclear at this point whether the issue is limited to treated wood, or if the problem could cause any sort of long-term damage to the HomePod's rubber base. For now, we would obviously recommend not placing your HomePod on a surface with an oil or wax finish if possible.
Wirecutter conducted some additional testing and saw no visible damage when placing the HomePod on glass, granite countertop, nice fiberboard, polyurethane-sealed wood, and cheap IKEA bookcases.
Update: Apple shared a "Cleaning and taking care of HomePod" support document that includes a section called "Where to place HomePod." This section includes details on the silicone base of the device and warns that it can cause marks on some wooden surfaces.
HomePod is designed for indoor use only. When using HomePod, make sure to place it on a solid surface. Place the power cord so that it won't be walked on or pinched.
It is not unusual for any speaker with a vibration-dampening silicone base to leave mild marks when placed on some wooden surfaces. The marks can be caused by oils diffusing between the silicone base and the table surface, and will often go away after several days when the speaker is removed from the wooden surface. If not, wiping the surface gently with a soft damp or dry cloth may remove the marks. If marks persist, clean the surface with the furniture manufacturer's recommended cleaning process. If you're concerned about this, we recommend placing your HomePod on a different surface.
Apple also suggests users avoid putting the HomePod near heat sources and liquids, and advises users that it can be cleaned with a damp cloth.
Twelve South today announced the launch of a new SurfacePad case for the iPhone X, expanding its popular SurfacePad design to Apple's latest flagship iPhone.
The SurfacePad is a folio-style case, but rather than being bulky like most cases with this design, it's ultra thin because it attaches to the back of an iPhone using Twelve South's "SurfaceGrip" technology.
Basically, SurfaceGrip is an adhesive that lets you remove and reapply the SurfacePad to the iPhone X over and over again without losing tackiness.
The SurfacePad offers front and back protection with its leather back and microfiber-lined leather cover, which also happens to have slots to hold two credit cards. A cutout at the back leaves the camera exposed so there's no interference with taking pictures, and the sides and bottom of the device are also left uncovered.
Like all SurfacePad cases, the SurfacePad for iPhone X's cover can be folded back and arranged into a stand for the device.
Twelve South has added a few features that are exclusive to the iPhone X, including automatic sleep/wake functionality when opening or closing the front flap and a new full-grain leather that Twelve South says will last longer and will develop a rich patina.
The SurfacePad for iPhone X is available in black, cognac, and deep teal, with the latter two being colors unique to iPhone X. It can be purchased for $49.99 from the Twelve South website.
Apple News can yield a flood of traffic for news publishers, with the app accounting for as much as 50 to 60 percent of readership for some stories, according to a paywalled report by Tom Dotan for The Information.
Apple News has generated half of Vox.com's daily traffic at times, according to a person familiar with Vox's numbers. An executive at the website of a major TV network said Apple News has accounted for as much as 60% of traffic for some stories.
The report claims Apple has an editorial team of about a dozen former journalists, led by veteran Apple executive Roger Rosner, who decide which articles get featured in the Top Stories or Spotlight sections of Apple News, or in the News tab on an iPhone, accessible by swiping left from the first page of the home screen.
The editorial team in the United States runs a dedicated Slack channel in which publishers can pitch stories to Apple, which tends to favor big breaking stories, special features, and multi-part series, according to the report. Apple is said to have similar teams working with publishers in Australia and the United Kingdom.
The curation process isn't praised by all publishers, as smaller to medium-sized sites say Apple News tends to favor big mainstream outlets, which get featured prominently when users first sign up for Apple News.
A bigger issue that publishers have with Apple News is that many don't earn any significant ad revenue from the app.
Part of the problem relates to how it sells ad space next to stories. Apple initially used its ad team iAd, but it later outsourced sales to NBC. It has yet to integrate Google's industry standard ad-serving tool DoubleClick, which publishing executive say would make ad sales much easier.
This may change soon, as Apple has supposedly begun to run a closed test of Google's industry standard ad-serving tool DoubleClick with around 20 publishers, in line with a report from last July. However, it's unclear when or if Apple News will roll it out wider, according to the report.
All in all, while Apple News has proved more successful than first expected, there is still some progress to be made as Apple aims to become a key distribution outlet for news publishers around the world.
Apple will launch a trio of new iPhone models later this year with a second-generation TrueDepth camera system, which will potentially be reduced in size, according to a research note issued today by analysts Andrew Gardiner, Hiral Patel, Joseph Wolf, and Blayne Curtis at investment bank Barclays.
While the analysts believe the new TrueDepth system will only "evolve slightly," they predict it could allow for a "smaller notch" on the 2018 range of iPhones with Face ID, which is rumored to include a second-generation iPhone X, a larger iPhone X Plus, and an all-new mid-range 6.1-inch LCD model.
Based on several data points within the 4Q17 reporting period and our supply chain meetings at CES, we remain confident that Apple is set to deploy its TrueDepth 3D sensor across the iPhone range in 2018 and to also add it to the pending iPad Pro refresh as well.
Given the complexity and multiple years spent developing the current generation of module, combined with supplier comments over the past month regarding multi-year customer commitments, we do not envisage a major change to the architectural make-up in 2018 […]
We do expect the sensor to evolve slightly, potentially reducing in size (i.e., smaller notch) and improving in specificity […] helping to further drive very strong growth [for some Apple suppliers] in 2H18 as the second generation of sensor ships in this year's new iPhones.
A smaller notch would be a welcomed change for critics of the iPhone X design, but it remains to be seen if it will happen so soon. An earlier rumor suggested the notch won't be reduced in size until 2019 or later, and it's generally expected that 2018 iPhones will look virtually identical to the iPhone X.
The prevailing thought is that Apple doesn't want to deal with the type of delays it faced with the iPhone X last year, and by keeping the hardware relatively unchanged, suppliers could avoid some retooling. However, it's certainly possible the TrueDepth camera system could be slightly shrunk down this year.
Beyond this year, the Barclays analysts believe Apple is "working hard" on a rear-facing TrueDepth camera system for future iPhones. The technology could be ready by 2019, but it sounds too far out to know for certain.
A key discussion point regarding 2019 is whether or not Apple will be ready to insert a rear or world-facing sensor, given the additional complexity associated with a greater range and field of view and […] the potential safety implications for the human eye.
Our discussions with suppliers suggests Apple and its partners are working hard on a world-facing solution, but development is ongoing and with over 18 months to go until the 2019 iPhone cycle, not all is yet determined.
The rear-facing TrueDepth camera system would pave the way for expanded augmented reality capabilities on iPhones. Apple has repeatedly expressed a profound interest in augmented reality, and recently highlighted some use cases of the technology in areas like education and gaming with a new page on its website.
Bloomberg News previously reported that Apple is exploring rear-facing 3D sensing, to be added to iPhones as early as 2019, while KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo agrees the technology won't be ready in 2018, so there does appear to be consensus about back-and-front TrueDepth being a next-year feature.
Apple's trio of new iPhones should be announced in September as usual, while the new iPad Pro with Face ID could debut in June.
In celebration of Valentine's Day today, February 14, numerous companies have launched sales for a variety of products, ranging from iPhone and MacBook accessories to Bluetooth speakers and more. Below we've rounded up a few of the sales going on today, most of which will be ending by midnight tonight or early tomorrow.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Gazelle
Gazelle shoppers today can get $20 off any certified pre-owned devices priced at $200 or more on Gazelle's website, including Apple products like recent MacBooks, iPads, and iPhones. You'll see the discount applied automatically at checkout.
Incipio
Take 20 percent off sitewide at Incipio using the promotional code LOVE20 at checkout. The accessory company has launched separate Valentine's Day guides for Her and Him, but the promo code will work on any product across the website.
DirecTV Now
DirecTV Now's updated Apple TV 4K offer is still ongoing this Valentine's Day, and remains the best sale price for the 32GB device available online, regardless of whether or not you decide to keep paying for the streaming TV service once the prepaid period ends.
With the deal, if you sign up for three months of DirecTV Now at an upfront cost of around $105, you'll get the 32GB Apple TV 4K at no cost.
DirecTV Now starts at $35/month for the "Live a Little" package, which adds up to $105 for three months of service. So the limited time offer means that you can get the latest 32GB Apple TV 4K for just $105, which is $75 cheaper than its traditional price point of $180 at Apple and other retailers. The company is expected to raise the sale back up to four weeks prepaid at $140, which is still a nice deal on the Apple TV 4K, but if you're interested definitely check out DirecTV Now's website for more information.
Braven
Speaker and headphone company Braven has launched a BOGO sale in celebration of Valentine's Day, offering shoppers the chance to buy one product and get another 50 percent off when using promo code LOVEBRV.
The offer is available sitewide and can be combined across product lines, with the discount appearing at checkout. The only items excluded from the offer are any products already on sale.
Sonos
Another ongoing sale could be a good opportunity for couples this Valentine's Day, with Sonos offering customers the chance to purchase two Sonos One speakers for a price of $349.00. Each individual Sonos One is priced at $199.00, so this bundle saves you $49 from what would be a $398.00 price tag.
Sonos debuted the sale on the day that pre-orders for Apple's HomePod went up, January 26, and has kept it live since then in an effort to compete with Apple's first entry into the smart speaker market.
In terms of price, the Sonos One two-speaker bundle matches the cost of one of Apple's $349.00 HomePod speaker. For more on the Sonos sale, visit the company's website.
MacPaw
MacPaw is offering customers the chance to buy a CleanMyMac 3 double pack this Valentine's Day, taking 20 percent off the total cost of the bundled software. The company said this could be a good gift for couples, since the deal nets you one license that can then be used on two separate Macs. With the offer, you can get two copies of CleanMyMac 3 for $47.96, down from $59.95.
MacPaw sells a variety of other Mac applications like Gemini and Wallpaper Wizard, and the company describes CleanMyMac as a "simple and powerful application for keeping your Mac clean, maintained, and healthy."
Other Sales
There are plenty of other sales going on today, so we've listed some of them below with a brief description of the promotion or items discounted. If we see any other Valentine's Day sales appear, we'll add them to this list and update the post.
Twelve South - Inspire [mac candle N°2] for $24.99, down from $29.99
Casetify - Buy two get 20 percent off, or buy 3 get 25 percent off with promo code LOVEIT
Griffin - Save 40 percent off sitewide with promo code LUVGRIFFIN
HomePod acoustic tests performed by Fast Company and published Tuesday appear to support Apple's claim that algorithms built into the smart speaker make it capable of distributing sound evenly throughout a room.
According to Apple's marketing material, music played on HomePod is evenly distributed so that it sounds similar regardless of where the listener is standing or sitting in the room. Apple also claims that HomePod's output remains consistent wherever it is placed in an environment, thanks to sophisticated always-on sound processing algorithms.
HomePod uses its six-microphone array to record the behavior of the sound waves emitted by the speakers, while the algorithms analyze the incoming data to adjust the output of the speakers and deliver a consistent representation of a piece of music throughout the listening environment. Another microphone deeper inside the HomePod picks up the presence of walls and other large objects that might interfere with the distribution of certain sounds, like the long sound waves of bass notes, and the algorithms adjust the output accordingly.
To test the claim, a HomePod was placed on a 30-inch high table by a wall and a white noise test sound was played through it that produces an equal amount of decibels throughout the frequency spectrum. This output was recorded from four locations in the room, and then each sound profile was compared to see how much variation occurred across the full frequency spectrum. The testing gear used in the experiment was loaned by Liechtenstein-based acoustics company NTi Audio AG.
According to Brian MacMillan of NTi Audio AG, which provided the testing gear used in the experiment, the HomePod's profile changed very little, with an average variance of less than 0.95 decibels across all audible frequency bands, which is considered below the threshold that can be heard by a human ear. Comparatively, the test team saw considerably more output variation from a Harman Kardon Invoke speaker, which had an average variance of 3.4 decibels.
In short, Apple's claim that the HomePod can deliver a consistent representation of a piece of music throughout the room looks truthy.
"The developers have done an excellent job of having the HomePod adjust to the room; (it has) impressive consistency in overall level and frequency response," said NTi's MacMillan.
"The HomePod automates spatial compensation that previously required a real audiophile's expertise, tools and time," he said.
The HomePod's sound has received praise by both new HomePod owners and media sites that tested the device ahead of its release, although Consumer Reports' doesn't believe the HomePod outshines the Google Home Max and the Sonos One. Other reviews have disagreed with that analysis, including an extensive, in-depth review published by a self-professed audiophile on Monday.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared shipment projections with MacRumors for Apple's rumored 6.1-inch iPhone that he expects to launch in the second half of 2018.
The device is said to have some iPhone X features such as Face ID, but design compromises will enable Apple to put it at a more affordable price point. They could include an LCD screen instead of an OLED display, an aluminum frame, a single lens camera, and no 3D Touch.
We project shipments under the new product life cycle (4Q18-3Q19) for the 6.1" LCD iPhone, estimated to be launched in 2H18, will reach around 100mn units.
According to Kuo's research note, shipment projections could fluctuate depending on the selling price of the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone, which Kuo believes will be somewhere between $700 and $800 in the United States. In his analysis, shipments will be around 105-115 million units when priced at US$699, and 95-105 million units when priced at US$799.
The price could also depend on "whether Apple ultimately sees the new 6.1-inch LCD model as the successor of iPhone 8 or 8 Plus," according to Kuo. In a previous note, KGI Securities has said the 6.1-inch iPhone will have a standard non-stacked logic board and rectangular battery pack like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
Kuo expects the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone to account for around 50 percent of the new iPhone line-up's shipments, with sales remaining strong into 2019. On that basis, today's shipping estimate suggests lifetime sales of 2018 iPhones could reach approximately 200 million units.
The device is expected to be announced around September-October as usual alongside a new 5.8-inch iPhone X and a larger 6.5-inch version dubbed iPhone X Plus.
Apple's mobile news platform has been accused of "living in the past" by the co-founder and head of rival news curation service Flipboard. The comments were made at Tuesday's Code Media event in California, where Flipboard CEO Mike McCue participated in an onstage Q&A regarding the future of content curation in the digital mobile space.
Now in its eighth year, the Flipboard iOS app organizes online articles into a more conducive reading format for mobile devices, and reaches around 100 million users a month. Comparatively, major rival Apple News – which Apple began shipping with iOS 9 – has at least 70 million monthly users.
"When you're an entrepreneur and you're competing with Apple, that's a pretty big deal," said McCue. "They're a partner and a competitor at the same time." McCue then went on to criticize Apple's mobile news platform for its lack of human curation.
"Apple News as a product is living in the past. There's no social sharing capability, no curation happening — it's algorithmic,” McCue said, adding: "It's another format that publishers have to adopt."
McCue also picked holes in Apple's walled garden approach to online content, comparing Flipboard's ad-friendly platform to Apple News's "closed ecosystem", which McCue called "a big deal for publishers". The suggestion here is that Flipboard benefits publishers by regularly redirecting readers to the publisher's site, where more ads are shown, whereas Apple News keeps users within the app's native display format with its attendant ad restrictions.
Despite the latter approach, Apple News does offer a built-in advertising platform that allows publishers to earn 100 percent of the revenue from the content they publish, or 70 percent of revenue from iAds inventory sold by Apple. The Apple News Format also lets publishers create custom editorial layouts geared towards their individual brands, allowing content to be viewed by millions of iPhone and iPad users in the way the publishers intended.
Apple's annual shareholders meeting took place at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park this morning, with shareholders gathering to vote on proposals and ask questions of Apple executives.
Apple does not live stream its shareholders meetings, but several members of the press, such as CNET's Shara Tibken and Business Insider's Kif Leswing, were at the event and shared details on what was covered on Twitter.
Much of the meeting was spent discussing shareholder proposals, several of which were routine proposals direct from Apple for re-electing the board of directors, compensating executives, appointing Ernst & Young LLP as Apple's public accounting firm, and approving the non-employee Director Stock Plan. All of these passed with more than 95% approval.
Two proposals from shareholders, one that asked Apple to implement more relaxed rules for letting shareholders nominate directors to the board and another asking Apple to form a human rights commission were defeated. 32 percent of shareholders voted in favor of the first, while just 5.6 percent voted in favor of the second.
During a Q&A session, and during the proposal discussion portion of the shareholders meeting, Apple CEO Tim Cook made a few interesting comments worth highlighting, though much of what was said was a repeat of comments made during Apple's Q1 2018 earnings call earlier this month.
- iPhone X customer satisfaction is at 99%.
- Apple's wearables business, which includes AirPods, Beats, and Apple Watch, is "approaching" the size of a Fortune 300 company. Earlier this month, Cook said it was the size of a Fortune 400 company.
- Apple acquired 19 companies in 2017 (10 of those are known, nine unknown).
- Across all products, Apple holds almost a quarter of a billion subscriptions.
- On the topic of Telegram being briefly removed from the App Store earlier this month for illicit content, Cook said Apple has "always curated [Apple's] properties." Apple keeps pornography, terrorism, and other questionable content out of the App Store. "I think people are coming around to that actually being a good thing," said Cook.
- Apple has internal candidates ready to succeed Tim Cook, which is a topic that comes up at every shareholders meeting.
- Cook said mobile payments have "taken off slower than I personally would have thought." Adoption is speeding up though in key countries like China and Russia. Cook also said he hopes he'll still be alive "to see the elimination of money."
- On a question about special dividends, Cook said he's "not a fan," but Apple is committed to increasing dividends each year. Apple will provide more info on its capital return program in April.
- On the topic of retail stores, Cook said Apple doesn't believe physical stores will go away. "We believe that interaction with people still beats anything," he said.
- Apple won't open its main ring-shaped building at Apple Park for tours because "we have so much confidential stuff around." "Keeping stuff confidential is the bane of my existence now," said Cook.
Shareholders also asked a few frivolous questions, which ate into the Q&A time and limited what we heard from Apple executives. One asked about Apple's work in oral health, a topic Cook said Apple isn't focusing on, while another asked when Apple will introduce a waterproof iPhone (iPhones have been water resistant since the iPhone 7).
There was a question on Blockchain, which Cook avoided, and one investor, still using iOS 9, abstained from voting on board re-election because of Apple's "bad" software updates that have removed features. "I'm not gonna sell my stock or buy the competitor's stuff because it's even worse," he said.
Apple holds its shareholders meetings on an annual basis, with the next one scheduled to take place in early 2019. This year's meeting had limited attendance due to the size limitations of the Apple Park theater, but shareholders not able to attend were able to vote on proposals by proxy ahead of the meeting.
Apple is developing a new drama series that's based on the early life and career of NBA star Kevin Durant, who plays for the Golden State Warriors, reports Variety.
The show, called "Swagger," was inspired by Durant's experiences as a youth playing basketball. It will highlight the world of Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball, taking a look into the lives of players, their families, and coaches.
Imagine Television, led by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, will produce alongside Kevin Durant's Thirty Five Media. Both Durant and Grazer will serve as executive producers, while Reggie Rock Bythewood will write and direct. Bythewood is known for his work on "Notorious," a movie that shared the story of Notorious B.I.G., and television series "Shots Fired."
Apple now has at least 10 television shows in the early stages of development, including an untitled morning show drama starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, an "Amazing Stories" reboot from Steven Spielberg, an untitled space drama from Battlestar Galactica creator Ronald D. Moore, a series written by "La La Land" creator Damien Chazelle, a Kristen Wiig comedy series, See, an epic world-building drama, Home, a docuseries focusing on incredible homes, and "Little America," an anthology series from "The Big Sick" creators Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon.
More details about each of Apple's television projects can be found in the original content section of our Apple TV roundup.
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