MacRumors

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 4.3.2 update to developers, one day after releasing watchOS 4.3.1, a minor bug fix update that addressed a startup issue.

Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.

To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.

It's not yet clear what features will be introduced in the watchOS 4.3.2 update, but as another 4.3.x update, it's likely to be minor in scale, addressing bug fixes and making other small improvements to the operating system.

watchOS 4.3.2 is likely to be one of the final updates to the watchOS 4 operating system. Apple has begun work on watchOS 5, which will be provided to developers next week at the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference.

Apple has launched an internal music publishing division, headed by industry executive Elena Segal, according to Music Business Worldwide.

Segal had served as Director of iTunes International since 2006, covering a wide range of legal and licensing matters for iTunes around the world. She began her new role as Apple's Global Director of Music Publishing earlier this month, based out of London, England, according to her LinkedIn profile.

The initiative is said to be one of the first major moves from Apple Music's new global operations chief Oliver Schusser, who was promoted from his previous role as Vice President of iTunes international in April.

The report suggests that the new division will help the Apple Music team to better discover up-and-coming artists, and improve its direct relationships with publishers and songwriters. The division is said to be made up of several subdivisions dedicated to operations, publisher relations, and other areas.

Like her boss Schusser, Segal will likely split her time between London and Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California.

Recode's annual Code Conference is underway in Rancho Palos Verdes, California this week, and on Tuesday Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel took the stage to discuss the ephemeral app's controversial update, Facebook's copying, and the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Specifically, Spiegel is said to have "poured salt on the wound" during his 40-minute interview with Kara Swisher as he called out Facebook and its ongoing struggles with user privacy. Referencing Facebook's decision to copy Snapchat stories in the Facebook app, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp, Spiegel said, "We would really appreciate it if they copied our data protection practices also."

Spiegel said Facebook — whose name he repeatedly declined to utter — has failed to sufficiently overhaul its user privacy protections after the Cambridge Analytica scandal exploded earlier this spring.

“Fundamentally, I think the changes have to go beyond window dressing to real changes to the ways that these platforms work,” he said.

Spiegel ultimately said that he thinks Snapchat will survive competitors copying the app, because while other platforms are forcing people to "compete with their friends for 'Likes'", Snapchat is focused on communicating with close friends. So, while Facebook imitates its features, the CEO remained confident that Snapchat's "values are hard to copy."

Many companies have voiced their opinions on the Facebook data scandal, including Apple and CEO Tim Cook, who said he "wouldn't be in this situation" when asked what he would do if he was Mark Zuckerberg.

Plex today announced the launch of Plex Podcasts, a feature that's designed to provide Plex users with an intuitive, customizable podcasts experience on any iOS device or Mac with no subscription or media server required.

According to Plex, the new Podcasts feature offers cross-platform playback, so you can begin a podcast on one device, such as your Apple TV, and then pick it up later on another device like the iPhone.

The Plex Podcasts interface displays the latest unplayed and in-progress episodes, just as Plex does for television shows and movies. Podcasts are displayed right alongside your photos, videos, music, TV shows, and more, putting all of your favorite media right in one place.

Standard podcast controls are available to control playback, and there's an option to add your own favorite podcasts that aren't already in the Plex catalog by adding the feed URL.

As with other media, Plex Podcasts is designed to enhance the podcast experience with metadata, providing users with info about each episode and related podcasts.

The feature is available on iOS, Android, Roku and the Plex web platform, with support for other devices coming in the near future. Plex also plans to add improved metadata and smart downloading in the coming weeks.

Along with Plex Podcasts, the Plex mobile apps are being overhauled to focus on a more customizable media experience. Users are able to choose the types of content they want to see, adding select categories to the Plex home screen.

Plex for iOS devices can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

On Monday, a report from South Korea's ET News claimed that Apple's transition to a full OLED iPhone lineup will be complete in 2019. This would mark the first time Apple has relied entirely on the organic light-emitting diode panel technology and not included LCD panels in any way, but now a group of analysts have responded to the report and argued that the 2019 timeframe might be inaccurate (via Bloomberg).

Jay Kwon, an analyst with JPMorgan, said that it's too early for a switch to OLED-only production for the iPhone. This is because the OLED screens would make the smartphones more expensive, removing the chance for a "low-cost" iPhone model like the LCD version believed to be coming in 2018, and Kwon argued that Apple likely needs more time to find additional OLED suppliers besides its current sole supplier in Samsung Display.

While Apple has embraced OLED, most analysts said they don’t see the switch happening in 2019.

“It is unlikely that Apple will be releasing three OLED models next year,” said Jeff Pu, an analyst at Taipei-based Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting. The other major OLED supplier, LG Display, has struggled to move into mass production and isn’t likely to boost OLED production for Apple in 2019 from 5 million to 10 million units expected this year, he said.

While rumors about Apple's incoming shift to an entire OLED iPhone lineup have been around for over a year, shares of suppliers reacted quickly in response to the new report from ET News. Goldman Sachs analysts Daiki Takayama and Jie Dai believed that "share prices have overreacted" to the news, because they "think it is unlikely that all 2019 iPhone models will switch to OLED screens."

Arthur Liao, an analyst with Fubon Securities, said he has not heard anything from his own supply chain sources in Taiwan regarding Apple moving to all OLED iPhone models in 2019. Most analysts repeatedly pointed towards pricing as an issue, including IHS Markit analyst Jerry Kang: "Apple hasn't been able to expand on its iPhone X production because of market demand and price issues." Kang said that while Apple's plan is to ultimately "go full OLED," the real "question mark" is determining what year the company will make that shift.

In an effort to reduce reliance on Samsung Display, Apple has reportedly invested billions of dollars to help LG get up and running with OLED technology, and LG has been rumored to be the supplier for this year's "iPhone X Plus." Besides that model, Apple is predicted to release two other iPhones in 2018: a second generation iPhone X and a low-cost, 6.1-inch option with a similar full-face display as seen on the iPhone X, but with LCD rather than an OLED display.

Camera+ 2 was released for iPhone and iPad today, a complete rewrite of the popular photography app of the same name that appeared almost eight years ago and sold over 14 million copies in that time. The successor app features a completely redesigned interface for accessing manual controls, raw shooting and editing, depth capture, and more.

As a universal app, Camera+ 2 promises a consistent experience across iPhone and iPad, with multitasking support for the latter baked in. Unlike its predecessor, the app also comes with all features, one-touch filters, and tools included as-is – no in-app purchases required.

In shooting modes, the manual onscreen wheels and controls include traditional settings like shutter speed, ISO, White Balance, and Macro, with wide-angle and telephoto options available on dual-lens devices. These functions can also be hidden during casual shooting.

With depth capture enabled in Camera+ 2, the depth information is saved alongside the image, and the adjustments in The Lab section of the editor can be selectively applied to distant or close subjects. A collection of filters are also available, with options to adjust their strength and layer them to customize the aesthetic.

A new Smile mode enables Camera+ 2 to detect smiles and shoot automatically, while a Stabilizer mode shoots only when the iPhone is steady enough to produce a sharp picture. The Slow Shutter mode meanwhile brings the ability to take long exposures, even in daylight, with additional Burst and Timer modes also included.

Elsewhere, in a much-requested change, Camera+ now has full Photo Library integration with editing support, with the added ability to switch between the Photo Library and the Lightbox with the tap of a button. Drag and drop gestures on the iPad are supported for copying or sharing photos, while Files and iTunes integration are also available for transferring pictures to a computer or other apps.

Camera+ 2 is available to download on the App Store for $2.99 and requires iOS 11 or later. [Direct Link]

The Pokémon Company today announced the upcoming launch of Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!, two games designed for the Nintendo Switch.

The two new Pokémon: Let's Go games are designed to connect to Pokémon Go on the iPhone and other mobile devices and offer many of the gameplay functions that are available in Pokémon Go.

As demonstrated in the video accompanying the announcement, a player captures a Dratini on a smartphone and then pulls out a Switch to transfer the Dratini to something called the "GO PARK" where the player is able to interact with the Pokémon.

The video also shows a Nintendo Switch user sending a present to a Pokémon Go player on an Android device, suggesting gifts will also be able to be exchanged cross device.

Pokémon Let's Go gameplay was inspired by Pokémon Yellow, where Pikachu followed the player throughout the game, and The Pokémon Company says the two games are designed for players "taking their first steps into the Pokémon video game world."

"With the launch of Pokémon GO in 2016 and the global sensation that ensued, millions of new players were introduced to the world of Pokémon," said Junichi Masuda, director at GAME FREAK inc. "For many people, Pokémon GO was their first experience with the Pokémon brand, so we have crafted these two new titles to be an accessible entry point to our core RPG series while giving our longtime fans a new way to play Pokémon."

Gameplay in Pokémon Let's Go, as with other Pokémon games, consists of capturing, leveling, and fighting Pokémon. Local multiplayer gameplay is supported, with two Pokémon catchers able to team up to catch Pokémon.

The Pokémon Company says that in addition to integration with Pokémon Go on Switch, "something special" will be coming to the world of Pokémon Go in the future "making the connection between both games even more appealing for trainers."

Pokémon Let's Go for the Switch will be accompanied by a new Poké Ball Plus accessory that can be used in lieu of a standard Nintendo Switch controller for capturing and interacting with Pokémon. The Poké Ball Plus is also compatible with Pokémon Go and can be used to catch Pokémon instead of the existing Pokémon Go Plus accessory.

The Poké Ball Plus offers motion controls and it lights up, vibrates, and plays sounds. Players who capture a Pokémon using the Poké Ball Plus will be able to feel it move around inside the ball.

Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! and Pokémon: Let's Go Pikachu! will be released on November 16, 2018. The Poké Ball Plus will be available for purchase at retailers on the same day.

Nintendo today also launched a new free-to-play game on the Nintendo Switch called Pokémon Quest, which is coming to mobile devices in late June.

Apple at WWDC is expected to introduce a new pride watch face, reports 9to5Mac. The upcoming watch face is "inspired by the rainbow flag" and is likely designed to match the limited edition Rainbow Pride Woven Nylon Apple Watch band that Apple released at WWDC last year.

Code for the new watch face was found in iOS 11.4 and watchOS 4.3.1, and it appears that the new watch face will animate with moving threads of color that shift whenever the display is tapped.

The watch face will become available on Monday, June 4 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time, which suggests it will be made available to all iOS users through an over-the-air update to watchOS 4.3.1. On Twitter, a user was able to change the date on his Apple Watch and the new face showed up, confirming it will release for everyone just after the keynote event wraps up.

It is not clear if Apple has any other pride-related announcements in store to accompany the new watch face, such as a new pride band. It is also not known if Apple plans to release additional watch faces with watchOS 5, but last year's watchOS 4 release did include new faces.

Apple always celebrates San Francisco Pride and participates in the parade, with the event set to take place on Saturday, June 23 and Sunday, June 24 this year, so it makes sense for the company to release a new rainbow Apple Watch face ahead of that date.

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.

The New Zealand Commerce Commission today sent a warning to Apple over concerns that the company misled customers about their replacement rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act and Fair Trading Act, reports the New Zealand Herald.

According to the commission, Apple may have violated New Zealand consumer law by telling customers its products have a two year warranty and also referring customers who purchase non-Apple branded products from Apple to the manufacturer for warranty issues.

From an eight-page statement released by the Commerce Commission:

We consider that Apple is likely to be misleading consumers by trying to exclude its liability for non-Apple branded products. If this behaviour is continuing, we recommend you take immediate action to address our concerns and seek legal advice about complying with the Fair Trading Act."

The New Zealand Herald says the Commerce Commission began an investigation into Apple's practices in April 2016 after receiving complaints from consumers who sought repairs from Apple but were told that their products were covered by consumer law for just two years.

Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, there is no set two-year period after which it expires, with the act instead outlining a set of requirements for consumer devices regarding build quality (products must be free from defects).

According to Commissioner Anna Rawlings, businesses should not base warranty decisions in New Zealand "solely on how long a consumer has owned a product." Instead, the "reasonable lifespan" depends "very much on what that product is" and each fault must be assessed "on its own merits."

During the investigation, the commission also said that Apple is "likely to have misled" consumers by excluding liability for non-Apple products. Apple is responsible, says the commission, for "compliance with consumer guarantees applying to all products it sells, even if it is not the manufacturer."

There were also some issues discovered around the availability of spare parts and repairs after one New Zealand customer was told he could have a maximum of four replacements for a faulty product.

The commission says Apple made voluntary changes to address some of the concerns that were raised, including making it clear to Apple employees in New Zealand that consumer law rights are not bound by a set time period. The commission believes Apple will consider and fix the other issues that were raised during the investigation.

Lyft is the latest company to ditch support for the Apple Watch, eliminating its Apple Watch app in an update that was released this morning.

Lyft did not announce the removal of the Apple Watch app in the update's notes, but the Lyft Apple Watch app is no longer listed in the App Store nor is it available as an app to install through the Watch app on the iPhone. There's also no longer a mention of the Apple Watch in the App Store description.

It is not clear why the Lyft app was removed from the App Store, and we've asked Lyft for comment, but this continues a trend where major companies are removing their Apple Watch apps due to low usage or Apple's requirement that all apps adopt the watchOS 4 SDK.

As of April, all Apple Watch app updates submitted to the App Store must use the watchOS 2 SDK or later. Apple Watch apps that use the watchOS 1 SDK are no longer able to be updated. Lyft has been updated several times since April, though, so it's not clear if the requirement is the reason why the app was removed. Lyft first introduced support for the Apple Watch in September of 2016.

Lyft joins several other major companies that have abandoned development for the Apple Watch and eliminated their watchOS apps, including Twitter, Google Maps, Amazon, Instagram, and eBay.

Update: Lyft provided the following statement to MacRumors on the removal of the Apple Watch app: "The latest Lyft update on iOS will no longer support a standalone Lyft app for Apple Watch. Lyft users will continue to have a great experience receiving notifications on their Apple Watch to easily follow their ride."