Apple has updated its service policy for a limited number of iPhone X units that may be experiencing issues with Face ID.
Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers are now authorized to perform a whole unit replacement for iPhone X units with Face ID issues, instead of a display repair, according to an internal document obtained by MacRumors.
Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers have been advised to first run diagnostics on the iPhone X's rear camera and potentially repair that system if necessary to see if that resolves the problem. If the issues persist, then a whole unit replacement is now permitted, the document states.
There appears to be some kind of link between failure of the iPhone X's rear camera and front TrueDepth system, although it's not entirely clear.
The document in full reads:
In order to provide the best customer experience, if a customer reports that their iPhone X is having Face ID issues, you may be able to resolve the issue with a rear camera repair. Run AST 2 on the customer’s device to check the camera. If the diagnostics find issue with the camera, perform the repair to see if the issue is resolved. If the issue is not resolved, perform a whole unit replacement instead of a same-unit display repair.
Apple has not commented on this matter publicly, or launched any sort of official repair program, as these are internal guidelines.
Affected customers can book an appointment with an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple Store via the Contact Apple Support page: iPhone → Repairs & Physical Damage → The Topic is Not Listed → Bring In For Repair. Following those steps also presents options to contact Apple by phone or email.
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the late Steve Jobs introducing the iMac, in what has become a defining moment in Apple's storied history. Apple CEO Tim Cook commemorated the occasion on Twitter today.
20 years ago today, Steve introduced the world to iMac. It set Apple on a new course and forever changed the way people look at computers. pic.twitter.com/GbKno7YBHl
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 6, 2018
"This is iMac," said Jobs, who had returned to the helm of Apple as interim CEO just eight months prior, after being ousted from the company twelve years earlier. A large crowd erupted with applause at the Flint Center, the same theater where Jobs unveiled the original Macintosh back in 1984.
The excitement centered upon the fact that the iMac didn't look anything like other desktop PCs of the time. This wasn't a typical boxy monitor-and-tower in dull beige. This was an all-in-one machine with curvy, translucent plastic, first in bondi blue, and later in several other colors of the rainbow.
Jobs was as charismatic as always on stage:
This is iMac. The whole thing is translucent. You can see into it. It's so cool. We've got stereo speakers on the front. We've got infrared right up here. We've got the CD-ROM drive right in the middle. We've got dual stereo headphone jacks. We've got the coolest mouse on the planet right here. All of the connectors are inside one beautiful little door here—the Ethernet, the USB stuff. Around the back, we've got a really great handle here. The back of this thing looks better than the front of the other guys, by the way.
iMac was all about getting everyday people connected to the internet. In fact, the letter I in iMac stood for internet, according to Ken Segall, the creative director who came up with the name for the computer. It also stood for individual, instruct, inform, and inspire, according to Apple's presentation.
More importantly, the iMac was a turning point for Apple, a company that had lost its direction by the mid-1990s. Apple was hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, had a bloated product lineup with over a dozen Macintosh models, and seemed to lack a clear plan forward. That is, until Jobs stepped in.
Jobs aimed to simplify Apple's product lineup with a four-quadrant product matrix, with one desktop computer and one portable computer for consumers and professionals respectively. iMac filled the consumer-desktop quadrant.
Jobs in Apple's press release for the iMac:
We designed iMac to deliver the things consumers care about most—the excitement of the Internet and the simplicity of the Mac. iMac is next year's computer for $1299; not last year's computer for $999.
Today we brought romance and innovation back into the industry. iMac reminds everyone of what Apple stands for.
The original iMac pioneered many industry firsts such as USB, FireWire, and quiet fan-less operation, and while the removal of the floppy drive and legacy ports was controversial, the computer ultimately pushed the industry forward.
The original iMac's tech specs:
PowerPC G3 processor clocked at 233MHz
15-inch display with 1,024×768 resolution
Two USB ports and Ethernet with a built-in software modem
4GB hard drive
32MB of RAM, expandable to 128MB
24x CD-ROM drive
Built-in stereo speakers with SRS sound
Apple-designed USB keyboard and mouse
Mac OS 8.1
The strategy was effective, as the iMac kickstarted Apple's return to profitability, just months after it flirted with potential bankruptcy. iMac sales topped 278,000 units in the first six weeks, and in October 1998, Apple reported earnings of $106 million in its fourth quarter, contributing to its first profitable year since 1995.
The naming scheme lived on with the iPod in 2001, iPhone in 2007, and iPad in 2010, products that led Apple to become the world's most valuable company.
The success of the iMac was due in part to a significant marketing campaign developed by ad agency TBWA/Chiat/Day. The ads, both in print and video form, focused on the iMac's design and the simplicity of both setting it up and connecting to the internet. A few of the spots featured actor Jeff Goldblum.
A sampling of taglines from the campaign:
Yum.
Sorry, no beige.
Chic. Not geek.
High-technicolor.
No artificial colors.
The rebirth of cool.
The most colorful way to the Internet.
Family vehicles for the information superhighway.
The thrill of surfing. The agony of choosing a color.
The most dramatically new Macintosh since the original.
In the two decades since, the iMac has undergone several revisions, keeping up with rapid technological advancements. Over those years, Apple's attention to both design and function hasn't wavered.
In 2002, the iMac received its first significant redesign, with a thin flat-panel display affixed to a white semicircular base with a cantilevered metal arm. In 2004, Apple integrated the main logic board, optical drive, and other components behind the display, allowing for a thinner aluminum stand.
In 2007, Apple ditched white plastic and gave the iMac an aluminum enclosure backed by black plastic. A model with a complete aluminum unibody enclosure was released in 2009, and slimmed down in 2012. In 2014, the iMac gained 4K and 5K Retina displays. And, in 2017, the powerful iMac Pro was released.
It is 1998, though, that will always be remembered as the year Apple started a new chapter of success. Happy birthday to the iMac.
Streaming movie and TV service VUDU today implemented UHD support for the Apple TV, which means there's finally a way for Apple TV owners to watch Disney content, Marvel movies, and Star Wars films in 4K HDR.
As noted on Reddit, the Apple TV is now listed on the VUDU UHD compatible device list, and the VUDU Apple TV app, which was updated today to version 1.1.0, confirms that 4K and HDR support is available.
Disney content is available through iTunes on the Apple TV, but Disney does not permit Apple to sell its offerings in 4K due to pricing issues, giving Apple TV owners few options for watching high-quality Disney content on their set-top boxes.
The VUDU app on Apple TV does not let users to rent or buy movies or TV shows directly on the device, but content added to a VUDU user's collection from elsewhere, such as the web, will show up on the Apple TV and will be available for 4K playback.
Most Disney content in UHD quality on VUDU is priced at $24.99, but other 4K titles can vary in price and are around $15 to $20. VUDU has several purchasing options, such as standard definition, high definition, and for some content, disc + digital.
The VUDU website features support for renting and buying more than 100,000 titles, plus it allows for linking an existing UltraViolet or Movies Anywhere account. All of that content, both linked and purchased on VUDU, is available on the Apple TV.
Popular battle royale game Fortnite has eared more than $50 million in revenue since its March 15 launch, according to new data shared this afternoon by app analytics firm Sensor Tower.
Fortnite is free to download, but it encourages players to shell out cash within the app for "V-Bucks" that can be used to purchase customization items like emotes, outfits, gliders, and more. The minimum in-app purchase is $9.99 for 1,000 V-Bucks, but players can spend more if desired. Players are also able to earn V-Bucks in game, but at a slow rate.
On iOS devices, Fortnite has proven to be incredibly popular. While it was still in beta, Fortnite had earned more than $1.5 million, and during its first month of availability on iPads and iPhones, the game brought in $25 million. It only took two weeks for that to double to $50 million.
Fortnite continues to be the number two top free game on the iOS App Store, with Epic Games managing to keep players engaged through different seasons that introduce new challenges to complete and content to unlock. Players can also purchase Battle Passes for $10 worth of in-game currency to receive additional items for completing season content.
Fortnite's fourth season content, which debuted earlier this week, is what pushed it over the $50 million mark. Player spending in the game jumped up 293 percent on May 1 when the content launched, a 4x increase compared to the preceding Tuesday.
Sensor Tower says that Fortnite's strategy of selling limited-time skins and other items has resulted in players spending approximately $1 million per day in the mobile game alone.
PUBG, another battle royale game that launched shortly after Fortnite, has not been as successful, which Sensor Tower attributes in part to its loot box monetization strategy. While Fortnite offers unique items available for a limited amount of time, PUGB only allows players to purchase randomized boxes that can result in duplicate and non-useful items.
After Twitter discontinued the original Vine service in 2016 and transitioned it into "Vine Camera," Vine co-founder Dom Hoffman said he was developing "a follow-up to Vine" that would serve as a sort of Vine 2 app.
Hoffman didn't provide much info on the second-generation Vine app, but he did say that it was self-funded and would be released at some point in 2018.
It doesn't look like that's going to happen, though, as Hoffman today announced that the Vine 2 project has been postponed for an "indefinite amount of time" citing legal and financial reasons.
Vine 2, he says, will not work as a personally funded project and it needs to operate as a company with "sizable external funding," which he does not have the resources to start up at this time due to his work on Interspace and Byte.
The code and ideas still exist, but until everything else comes together, we can't move forward.
Again, this is indefinite, which means that it could take a long time. But it's necessary.
I'm very, very sorry for the disappointment. If it's any consolation, I think it would have been even more disappointing if this service had been developed and released incorrectly, which is where we were headed. I'd like for us to get it right.
The community forums that were set up for the Vine 2 project will continue to be available for community members who had joined, and Hoffman says that any changes to future Vine projects will be announced there.
Vine was founded in June of 2012 and was acquired by Twitter before its launch in January of 2013. The Vine service became a huge hit after launch and it developed a dedicated fan base, but after it began to wane in popularity, Twitter decided to shutter it.
Twitter has turned the original Vine app into Vine Camera, an app that allows users to create six-second video loops that can be shared on Twitter.
HTC today sent out emails and updated its website with a teaser image for an upcoming event that will see the launch of its next flagship device.
The image in question features smartphone components overlaid with a date, and given that HTC is teasing a new smartphone, it would be logical to assume these are HTC components, but as AnandTech points out, HTC's image features iPhone 6 parts.
HTC's teaser image
It is not clear why HTC is teasing its next-generation smartphone with components from an Apple device that's four years old rather than the upcoming device or at least an HTC smartphone, but it's an embarrassing mistake for the company to make.
iPhone 6 components, via iFixit
HTC's May 23 event will likely see the debut of the HTC U12, the successor to the HTC U11.
Update: HTC told CNET that it intentionally used parts from other smartphones to represent the "jumble" of parts that HTC competitors "inelegantly cram into their phones."
"We're glad people are studying our teaser so closely. The fact people have noticed parts from different phone models is exactly right - they represent the jumble of parts (specs) that our competitors inelegantly cram into their phones, while the space in the middle outlining HTC's next phone represents 'a phone that is more than the sum of its specs.'
To be clear, none of the parts illustrated in the teaser came from the phone we're announcing May 23rd; people will have to tune in to htc.com that day to find out more..."
iTunes chief Eddy Cue will be forced to testify in the ongoing Apple v. Qualcomm legal dispute, reports Bloomberg.
A San Diego judge on Friday ordered Cue to be deposed in the case, siding with Qualcomm and ignoring Apple's arguments against the deposition. Eddy Cue handles Apple's services businesses, including Apple Music, Apple's television products, iTunes, and more.
In November, Qualcomm filed a motion to depose Cue. Apple pushed back stating that Cue's role overseeing services made him unrelated to the case. Qualcomm cited past Apple statements pinpointing Cue as one of the lead negotiators when the iPhone launched in 2007 exclusively on AT&T Inc.'s network in the U.S.
As previously shared, Apple CEO Tim Cook is also set to provide testimony in the Apple v. Qualcomm trial on June 27. It's not clear when Eddy Cue will be interviewed.
Along with Cue and Cook, other Apple executives including Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, marketing chief Phil Schiller, and vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji will be involved in the case.
Apple and Qualcomm have been facing off in a legal battle since the beginning of 2017, when Apple sued Qualcomm for $1 billion for charging unfair royalties on Apple products.
Apple claims Qualcomm charges excessive fees for "technologies [it] has nothing to do with," while Qualcomm claims its technology is "at the heart of every iPhone."
Qualcomm has since countersued Apple for a licensing breach, and both companies have levied patent lawsuits against one another. Qualcomm has also been seeking import and export bans on some iPhones in the United States and China.
Apple has several major iPad-focused features planned for next year's iOS 13 update, codenamed "Yukon," according to information shared by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman on Twitter.
Apple is said to be working on a revamped Files app, in-app tabs similar to the tabs that are available in macOS apps, support for using the same app side-by-side in Split View multitasking mode, and unspecified improvements to Apple Pencil. Some of this information was previously shared by Gurman in reports on Bloomberg, but details such as a revamped Files app are new.
Gurman also previously said that some features originally planned for iOS 12 will be pushed back to iOS 13 to allow Apple to work on bug fixes and performance improvements. These features include a redesigned Home screen (which will include changes on the iPad) and a revamped Photos app.
Somewhat. iOS 13 “Yukon” will have a big iPad-focused feature upgrade as well, including an updated Files app. some other things in the works are tabs in apps like in MacOS, same app side by side, Apple Pencil stuff. The home screen redesign is iPad focused.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 4, 2018
iOS 11, the current version of iOS, was also an iPad-focused update, introducing the Files app, a revamped iPad dock, a new App Switcher, Drag and Drop support, new Apple Pencil features like Instant Markup and Instant Notes, a redesigned QuickType keyboard, and more.
iOS 12, coming this year, will offer fewer new features than Apple had originally planned, but Gurman believes Apple will introduce at least one major change that also affects macOS 10.14 - support for cross-platform apps. Apple is said to be working to implement features that would allow apps designed for the iPhone and the iPad to run on the Mac, but there has been some disagreement over when this feature will debut.
Daring Fireball's John Gruber says Apple will not introduce this functionality until iOS 13 and macOS 10.15, so it is unclear if it will indeed be coming in iOS 12. Gurman does, however, often share accurate information on Apple's software updates ahead of their release.
Other features planned for iOS 12 include additional Animoji characters, a new Animoji interface and Animojis on iPad, FaceTime support for Animoji, updated parental controls with a new Digital Health tool to allow parents to better monitor screen time, a revamped Stocks app, an enhanced version of Do Not Disturb, and support for multiplayer augmented reality games.
Apple will unveil iOS 12, macOS 10.14, tvOS 12, and watchOS 5 at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference that kicks off on Monday, June 4. The first day will include a keynote event where Apple will share all of the new features coming in the software updates, and following the keynote, developers will be provided with access to the software to begin to prepare their apps ahead of a fall public launch.
"We planned the notch design before Apple," said Hwang Jeong-hwan, chief of LG's mobile division, in an interview. "The display design may look similar to that of other smartphones, but boasts differentiated features."
LG is one of several Android smartphone makers that have unveiled iPhone X lookalikes in the months following the debut of Apple's flagship handset, alongside the likes of Asus, Huawei, and others. One notable holdout is Samsung, with its latest Galaxy S9 devices retaining uniform top and bottom bezels.
Google introduced support for "the latest edge-to-edge screens" with a "display cutout for camera and speaker" in Android P, the next major version of its mobile operating system that will be seeded to devices like the G7 ThinQ.
Apple has previously said the iPhone X reflects the next decade of smartphones, suggesting the controversial notch will remain for the foreseeable future. However, a questionable report from Korean website ET News recently suggested that Apple may remove the notch from iPhones starting with 2019 models.
Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that its new MBUX infotainment system will feature support for wireless CarPlay in future vehicles.
The all-new 2019 A-Class will be Mercedes-Benz's first vehicle equipped with the MBUX system when it goes on sale later this year, according to a spokesperson for the automaker's parent company Daimler in Germany. Wireless CarPlay will expand to other new Mercedes-Benz vehicles in 2019, the spokesperson told MacRumors.
The automaker previously announced that the 2019 A-Class will be available in a sedan model in the United States, while a hatchback version will also be sold in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and select other regions. The spokesperson said wireless CarPlay will be available in all of those markets.
A spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz in the United States declined to comment on MBUX's wireless capabilities until midsummer. It's still early, so it's possible the company's exact vehicle and market rollout of wireless CarPlay could change.
Barring announcements from other automakers, Mercedes-Benz will likely become the second to offer vehicles with wireless CarPlay functionality, after BMW rolled out the feature starting with its 2017 5 Series a few years ago. Apple first introduced wireless CarPlay in 2015 alongside iOS 9.
Every other automaker that offers CarPlay currently uses a wired implementation that requires connecting the iPhone to the system with a Lightning to USB cable. The platform is available in well over 300 vehicle models, and it's generally considered to be a highly desired feature with strong customer satisfaction.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Nomad to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a rugged, high-quality USB-C cable designed for Apple's latest Macs that use USB-C and other USB-C accessories like the Nintendo Switch or Android smartphones.
Priced at $39.95, Nomad's USB-C cable supports full 100W power transfer and 10Gb/s USB 3.1 data transfer speeds, making it compatible with all of Apple's USB-C devices. It will charge your MacBook, 13-inch MacBook Pro, or 15-inch MacBook Pro at full speed paired with an appropriate power adapter.
With more and more device manufacturers adopting USB-C, it's always useful to have an extra USB-C cable around, especially because Apple's USB-C power adapters designed for MacBook and MacBook Pro models don't ship with USB-C cables. If you want to pick up a spare, you'll need to buy a cable separately.
Nomad describes its USB-C cable as "ultra rugged" because it's made from a braided ballistic nylon and an extra thick wire gauge with a polyamide core, making it resistant to wear and tear from daily use. Nomad has also included reinforced RF shielding for fast data sync, along with a thick fire resistant PVC jacket.
The cable measures in at 1M in length, an ideal size for use at home or when traveling, and you can be sure that it's going to hold up well even if you're a little rough with it.
We have eight of Nomad's USB-C cables to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (May 4) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on May 11. The winners will be chosen randomly on May 11 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
As noted by The Verge, Texture recently sent out emails to its users letting them know that the Windows service will be discontinued on June 30th, and the company also added a notice to its website.
Texture says the Windows app, which has not been updated in some time, is being shut down to "keep things working smoothly." The discontinuation of the app may have been on the horizon regardless of the acquisition by Apple based on its infrequent updates and poor reviews.
Texture is an all-access pass to the world's best magazines. To keep things working smoothly, older versions of the app sometimes need to be retired. After June 30th, 2018, the Texture Windows app will no longer be available. Your Texture subscription will continue to be available on compatible phones or tablets running iOS or Android and on Fire HD tablets along with ongoing access to all the magazines you have selected as your favorites.
Windows users who are losing access to Texture through the Windows platform will be able to continue to access Texture using smartphones and tablets running iOS or Android, but there will no longer be a way to read Texture magazines on a Windows PC.
Apple first announced plans to acquire Texture in mid-March. At the time, Apple iTunes chief Eddy Cue said Apple was "committed to quality journalism from trusted sources and allowing magazines to keep producing beautifully designed and engaging stories for users."
For those unfamiliar with the service, Texture offers subscribers unlimited access to more than 200 digital magazines for $9.99 per month. Available titles include major magazines like Cosmopolitan, People, Better Homes and Gardens, Time, Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, Condé Nast Traveler, Allure, Billboard, Town & Country, ELLE, Good Housekeeping, National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Vogue, and more.
Rumors have suggested Apple plans to use its Texture acquisition to launch an upgraded Apple News app with a subscription-based news service that would include Texture's magazine subscription options.
The news subscription option, which would be similar to Apple Music but for news and magazines, would provide a boost to Apple's growing services category.
"The Button" from Fibaro is the latest HomeKit accessory that's designed to add physical control options to your HomeKit setup, making it easier to access HomeKit devices without an iOS device or HomePod.
Design wise, The Button looks like you might expect something called "The Button" to look. Made of smooth plastic, it has a small round base that holds a slightly larger button that depresses to activate HomeKit commands.
I like the look of the button, and it offers a satisfying button-like press that's better than some of the other competing button and tap-style devices that offer physical HomeKit controls. The button I reviewed was white, but it is also available black and red.
The Button supports just three gestures: a single click, a double click, and a press and hold. This limits what can be done with The Button, so a household may need more than one if there are a lot of HomeKit products and you want granular control over each one.
You can attach the button to a wall or a desk using included adhesive or by nailing the plastic mounting plate into the wall. You can also just use it sans adhesive or mounting plate if it's just sitting on a desk or nightstand, or if you want to be able to move it around.
There is no light to indicate that The Button is turned on and has power, but you can enable an audio feedback option in the settings section of the Fibaro app to have it beep when a button press is activated.
Setting up The Button is a little more involved than the setup process for some other HomeKit products. You need to press down and rotate The Button in a counterclockwise direction (like a childproof pill bottle) to open it up to remove the battery blocker.
Once open, you need to take out the user-replaceable 1/2AA battery that powers the accessory to remove the small piece of paper before putting the battery back in place and closing it back up. From there, you can download the Fibaro app or the Home app and add it to a HomeKit setup using the QR code in the manual or on the bottom of The Button.
I thought the Fibaro app was one of the worst HomeKit apps I've ever used. It's cluttered, has an unintuitive UI, and uses a color scheme that makes text hard to read. It also has no real instructions on programming The Button, which is going to be confusing for those who are new to HomeKit and unfamiliar with automations.
Most users will probably be better off controlling and programming The Button with the Apple Home app, where you can more easily assign Scenes and automations to each button press.
With The Button, you can do things like activate a specific scene to turn off all of the lights in the house at night, lock the door, and turn down the thermostat, or turn on all the lights in the morning and turn up the thermostat, all depending on which HomeKit devices you have installed and what you want The Button to do.
I set a single press to turn off all of the lights in my office with the exception of my night lights, and a double press turns them all back on in the morning. A long press sets an evening scene that dims the lights. The Button can do a huge variety of things depending on the HomeKit products you own, but I've found it most useful for lighting. It can turn lights on and off, dim lights, change colors, and more.
The Button was always responsive during my testing over the past couple of weeks, with each of the three button presses clearly activating each scene assigned to it. I didn't run into any connectivity problems or other issues while using The Button, which is always a plus.
Bottom Line
When you just want to turn the lights on or execute a quick action, it can be a hassle to pull out your iPhone and open up the Home app or use Siri. Physical control products like The Button add a lot of convenience to a HomeKit setup, and they're a must have for guests who don't have access to your HomeKit devices but need to control something simple like a light.
At $60, The Button is more expensive than competing options like the Eve Button, or the Hue Tap, but it's on par with the Logitech Pop and it's arguably one of the more fun button devices you can purchase given its intuitive button design and the range of colors it's available in.
Apple has acknowledged a microphone issue affecting a limited number of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models running iOS 11.3 or later.
In an internal document distributed to Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, obtained by MacRumors, Apple said affected customers may experience a grayed-out speaker button during phone calls. The issue may also prevent affected customers from being heard during phone calls or FaceTime video chats.
Apple Authorized Service Providers have been instructed to first ask customers to disconnect or power off any Bluetooth headsets or other audio accessories connected to their iPhone to see if that alleviates the problem.
If the speaker button remains grayed out during a call, the service providers have been instructed to run audio diagnostics. Affected devices will display a "device could not detect dock" or "accessory not supported" alert in the diagnostic pane, in which case the service provider can initiate a repair for the iPhone.
If an affected iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus is no longer covered by warranty, Apple says its service providers can request an exception for this particular issue. Apple's document does not specify if the repairs will be completed free of charge, but it seems likely given the circumstances.
While this does not appear to be a widespread problem, there are have been some complaints about microphone issues on iOS 11.3 scattered across MacRumors, Reddit, Twitter, and the Apple Support Communities in recent months.
It's unclear why iOS 11.3 and subsequent software versions are unintentionally disabling microphones on some iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus units. Apple mentions that some of the devices may require a repair, suggesting the software update could somehow be causing a hardware defect, but information is lacking.
Affected customers can schedule an appointment with an Apple Authorized Service Provider or with the Genius Bar at an Apple Store via the Contact Apple Support page: iPhone → Repairs & Physical Damage → Unable to Hear Through Receiver or Speakers → Built-in Speaker → Bring In For Repair.
Apple has not confirmed this issue publicly, but MacRumors has verified the document's authenticity with a reliable source. However, outside of our control, some Apple employees may be unaware of or deny the information. In that event, we recommend escalating your case to a senior AppleCare advisor if possible.
MacRumors has reached out to Apple for clarity on this issue. If and when we hear back, we'll update this article.
eBay today launched its latest site-wide coupon event, in celebration of Star Wars Day. With the offer, you can get 15 percent off everything across eBay with just a few exclusions: Coins & Paper Money, Gift Cards & Coupons, and Real Estate categories.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with eBay. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The 15 percent off coupon is running for one day only and ends later today, May 4, at 4:00 p.m. PT. To use it, you'll need to make a purchase on eBay worth $50 or more, pay for the item or items by the coupon's expiration time today, and enter the promo code PMAY4TH in the redemption code field. The discount caps at a maximum value of $100, and applies only to the purchase price and excludes shipping, handling, and taxes. Users with an address in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean are eligible for the coupon.
There are numerous Apple products that can be purchased at a discount with eBay's coupon today, including a HomePod sold by alldayzip. Although the store has the speaker priced at $360, $10 above its normal price tag, with 15 percent off you can get a brand new HomePod for $306.00 in Space Gray or White. For more ideas, browse eBay's Daily Tech Deals page, which currently has new and refurbished items like Apple Pencil, UE Boom 2, iPad Pro, and more.
Just like the last coupon, the new Star Wars Day discount code is available across all of eBay, so even if you can't find Apple products you're interested in, there should be plenty of other items on the site that could be made a bit cheaper with the 15 percent off sale. The coupon is a one-time use code, so if you're planning to purchase multiple items to get a discount, make sure to purchase them all at once.
For more information on the code visit eBay's landing page, and then head over to our full Deals Roundup for descriptions of other sales.
Apple CEO Tim Cook this morning tweeted out congratulations to People en Español, a Spanish-language magazine which has an issue coming out covering the 50 most beautiful people of 2018. The issue's cover and other individual shots were captured using Apple's iPhone X, as Cook pointed out in his tweet.
The June issue includes actors and singers like Demi Lovato, Ricky Martin, Maluma, Maite Perroni, J Balvin, Jonn Leguizamo, and Geraldine Bazán. People en Español's list mostly focuses on Latino stars from film, television, music, sports, and politics.
Apple and Tim Cook typically share when the iPhone is used to capture images for magazine covers and other media, like last September when TIME Magazine exclusively used the iPhone's camera for its "Firsts: Women Who Are Changing The World" photo shoot. More recently, Cook posted a series of images taken during Holi festivities in India, captured by photographers Prashanth Viswanathan, Amit Mehra, and Ashish Parmar all using the iPhone X.
In an effort to reach a wider audience for its "Shot on iPhone" campaign, Apple last August finally joined Instagram. The @Apple account posts videos, user-submitted photos, and shares Stories all taken on an iPhone.
iPhone X was the world's most popular smartphone for the second consecutive quarter, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.
Strategy Analytics estimates that iPhone X shipments totaled 16 million units in the first three months of 2018, making it the best-selling smartphone model during that period, as it was during the final three months of 2017.
"For the second quarter running, the iPhone X remains the world's most popular smartphone model overall, due to a blend of good design, sophisticated camera, extensive apps, and widespread retail presence for the device," said Juha Winter, a senior analyst at Strategy Analytics.
Much of the doom and gloom centered around Apple suppliers like AMS and TSMC warning about weaker smartphone demand. Apple CEO Tim Cook has dismissed those kind of reports in the past, noting that the company's supply chain is very complex, and that conclusions shouldn't be drawn from singular data points.
Even if a particular data point were factual, it would be impossible to interpret that data point as to what it meant to our business. The supply chain is very complex and we have multiple sources for things. Yields can vary, supplier performance can vary. There is an inordinate long list of things that can make any single data point not a great proxy for what is going on.
In reality, Apple accounted for the top four best-selling smartphones worldwide last quarter. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were the second and third most popular, with an estimated 12.5 million and 8.3 million shipments respectively, while the iPhone 7 took fourth place with around 5.6 million shipments.
The research lines up with Cook's recent revelation that "customers chose iPhone X more than any other iPhone each week in the March quarter, just as they did following its launch in the December quarter." He added that the iPhone X is a "Super Bowl winner," even if "you want them to win with a few more points."
Apple on Tuesday reported that it sold 52.2 million iPhones last quarter, but it doesn't break out the sales on a model-by-model basis. However, the average selling price of an iPhone was $728 in the quarter, up from $655 in the year-ago quarter, suggesting the higher-priced iPhone X did sell relatively well.
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi's budget Redmi 5A was the sole Android smartphone to crack the top five on the best-selling list, with an estimated 5.4 million shipments last quarter. Samsung's new Galaxy S9 Plus, launched in the final month of the quarter, ranked sixth with an estimated 5.3 million shipments.
iPhone X may not have lived up to the hype of some overblown Wall Street expectations, but in the end, the device was a key contributor to Apple's record-breaking revenue in the first half of its 2018 fiscal year.
Apple has begun inking deals with publishers in Apple News to gain timed exclusive video series on the platform, as it competes with news distribution outlets on Facebook, Google, and Twitter. In a new article today, Digiday highlights BuzzFeed News as one of the first major partnerships for the video initiative on Apple News, with the debut of docu-series "Future History: 1968" last month.
Under the partnership, BuzzFeed News launched the first three episodes of Future History: 1968 exclusively on Apple News, and then one week later expanded them to Facebook Watch, YouTube, Twitter, and the BuzzFeed app. BuzzFeed head of audience development Roxanne Emadi says Apple paid the publisher for first-window rights to the show's first three episodes and cut BuzzFeed a share of ad revenue.
Apple has become so serious about competing with Facebook, Google/YouTube and Twitter as a distribution outlet for news publishers that it’s paying publishers to unveil shows on Apple News first.
“We’re focused on really just in-depth, unique video experiences and finding partners to support that,” Emadi said. “It’s very different than what you’re used to, which is social video and news feed video.”
After its launch on April 21, Future History: 1968 was featured in video galleries for an entire weekend on Apple News and got included in push notifications of users that follow the publisher in the app. According to Emadi, during the first week of the show's availability on Apple News it received "several hundreds of thousands" of views across the three episodes. On April 28 the show launched on YouTube, Facebook Watch, and Twitter, amassing over 110,000 views across all three since then.
The show focuses on major events that happened in 1968, including the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the space race, but the depictions of each event are filtered through a modern lens. For example, conversations between King and his wife are shown visually as a text message thread. The episodes are mostly formatted in a vertical orientation to fit on iPhone screens without having to transition into landscape mode, and the shortest one runs at just over eight minutes.
Apple has been working on beefing up Apple News recently, with a report last month suggesting that the company will introduce a subscription-based plan into Apple News within the next year. The company has also been pushing for higher-quality and lengthier video series on the platform, although publishers are said to remain hesitant as the app "hasn't delivered on the revenue front."
Limited revenue and hassles with placing ads alongside content are some of the reasons that publishers are reluctant to adopt Apple News. This could change, as Apple reportedly plans to allow publishers to use the ad tech they already employ on their sites, such as Google's DoubleClick for Publishers, to deliver third-party ads in the Apple News app. For publishers embracing the app, they have noted that Apple News can yield a flood of traffic to articles, with Vox.com stating in February that Apple News accounted for as much as 60 percent of traffic for some stories.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
After Twitter discontinued the 
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with eBay. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
