Ahead of the launch of the iPhone X, people wondered how Apple Pay would work without a Touch ID Home button for confirming payments, but as it turns out, the payments service isn't too much different.
We went through the checkout process with Apple Pay to give MacRumors readers who haven't yet had a chance to use the system a look at just how it works.
To use Apple Pay on iPhone X, you will, of course, need to have Apple Pay set up with a credit or a debit card in the Wallet app.
When you're at a store that accepts Apple Pay, the Apple Pay process is more or less the same as it was with Touch ID, but some of the gestures are different.
When you're ready to check out, press the side button on the iPhone X twice to bring up the default Apple Pay card and authenticate with Face ID. Then hold your iPhone X down to the reader to confirm payment. If you don't want to use your default card, make sure to swap it out with a tap before your iPhone is next to the card reader.
The double-click setting that opens up the Wallet app should be enabled by default, but if it's not, you can turn it on by going to Settings > Wallet > Apple Pay > and toggling on the Double-Click option. It's a feature you're going to want to have activated if you use Apple Pay a lot, because it speeds up the checkout process.
Without double-click turned on, you'll need to hold your iPhone by an NFC-equipped reader to bring up the Apple Pay interface before raising it back up to confirm with Face ID, adding another step to the process.
All in all, Apple Pay on iPhone X is essentially as quick and as easy to use Touch ID once you get used to how it works, but it will take a few payments to become accustomed to the new process if you're used to the Home button.
After previously earning the designation of one of the overall best inventions of 2017, the iPhone X has today been placed at the #2 spot on TIME's "Top 10 Gadgets of 2017" list. According to the magazine, Apple's new smartphone placed so highly because many of its features -- including Face ID and edge-to-edge display -- "will undoubtedly set a new standard for phones to come."
Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, you’ll probably have a hard time getting your hands on one. And yes, Android did it first. But the iPhone X’s edge-to-edge screen and facial recognition system will undoubtedly set a new standard for phones to come. For one, Apple’s Face ID system, even despite the security concerns, is already being used in more creative ways than Samsung’s facial identification tech. Third-party apps like Snapchat and Warby Parker are taking advantage of the iPhone X’s face-mapping technology to project realistic masks over your eyes or select glasses that suit your face’s shape. That, combined with a sharp camera, long battery life, and large screen packed into a more palatable size, make Apple’s iPhone X a top pick.
Below the iPhone X, the following gadgets round out the top five spots: Microsoft Surface Laptop (#3), DJI Spark (#4), and Samsung Galaxy S8 (#5). TIME's #1 gadget of 2017 is the Nintendo Switch, which it says is a "true knockout" thanks to its games library and ability to transform from portable gaming to playing on a TV at home. There is some overlap with the devices mentioned on TIME's new list with the Top 25 Best Inventions of 2017 article from last week, including the iPhone X, DJI Spark, and Nintendo Switch.
Sitting further down the list is another Apple product, the Apple Watch Series 3, which earned the #9 spot. TIME said that the advantages introduced in the new version of the Apple Watch, like a faster processor and barometric altimeter, were great additions. But the magazine said the truly notable addition was LTE: "the freedom to leave your phone at home when you step out to walk the dog or go on a run may be just enough to persuade smartwatch skeptics that the Apple Watch is worth considering, especially for athletic types."
To see more of the items listed by TIME, check out the Top 10 Gadgets of 2017 ranking right here.
While navigating with Apple Maps via iPhone or CarPlay in those countries, a set of directional arrows will now appear at the top of the screen that indicate which lane your vehicle should be in to exit a freeway or complete a turn.
Apple Maps lane guidance has been available in the United States and China since iOS 11. The feature began rolling out in additional regions alongside the iOS 11.2 beta, and the countries are now reflected on Apple's iOS feature availability page.
Apple Maps still shows speed limits in the United States and United Kingdom only.
Spotify today launched its holiday discounts, giving new users three months of Spotify Premium for $0.99, after which they'll need to pay the traditional $9.99/month subscription cost or cancel their account beforehand. The sale is similar to discounts launched in years past, with Spotify encouraging new users to sign up to the music streaming service over the holidays.
This year, there's an additional deal for those who have signed up for Spotify Premium, but then left the service at one point in the past. Specifically, if you didn't have an active Spotify Premium account as of October 21, 2017 -- meaning you canceled your account before that date -- you can return to Spotify and get three months of the service for $9.99. Unfortunately, there isn't a deal for paid subscribers who have stayed with Spotify.
Three months of Spotify Premium that gives you access to millions of songs on demand, ad free, and high quality audio, for less than a dollar? That is what music fans can expect this season as Spotify announces two of its biggest deals of the year. Whether you are curating a list of your favorite holiday-themed tracks or compiling a playlist of the hottest songs of the year for an upcoming Holiday party, these offers will undoubtedly warm up your mood this season.
- First-time Spotify Premium users can receive three months for just $0.99 if they have not previously provided credit card information or used a 30-day trial. - Spotify Premium users that did not have an active account as of October 21, 2017 can receive three months for the price of one: $9.99.
If you're interested you can sign up for Spotify Premium on the company's website, and you have until December 31, 2017 to take advantage of the offers. For new users, Spotify said it will check to see that you have not previously provided credit card information or used a 30-day trial of Spotify Premium in order to grant the three month price at $0.99.
Apple is collaborating with its Taiwanese supplier TSMC to solve manufacturing issues preventing volume production of micro-LED display panels, according to DigiTimes.
Apple is reportedly collaborating with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to develop applications based on silicon-based backplanes (silicon wafers) aiming to sidestep the bottleneck that entails with the mass transfer of LED chips, indicated the sources.
Once micro-LED displays can be mass produced both reliably and affordably, the panels could be used in future Apple devices. Apple's use of micro-LED would likely begin in 2019 at the earliest, possibly starting with the Apple Watch, should it choose to proceed with the technology after trial production.
In the meantime, the report claims Apple has downsized its micro-LED research and development team at its laboratory in northern Taiwan.
The downsizing doesn't necessarily mean that Apple has delayed or given up development of the next-generation display technology. In addition to its work with TSMC, it's possible that Apple has shifted the bulk of its micro-LED research back to its headquarters in the United States.
Apple's interest in micro-LED was first reported in late 2015, when it was discovered that the iPhone maker opened a secretive laboratory in Taoyuan, Taiwan to research display technologies like OLED and micro-LED for future devices. OLED is currently used in the Apple Watch and iPhone X.
Apple acquired micro-LED display maker LuxVue Technology in 2014, and some of its employees may be part of Apple's micro-LED research team, in addition to former employees of AU Optronics and Qualcomm subsidiary SolLink.
Micro-LED displays have many of the same advantages as OLED displays have over LCDs, including improved color accuracy, improved contrast ratio, faster response times, and true blacks given both have self-lit pixels, but they can be even thinner, much brighter, and more energy efficient than OLED.
Micro-LED displays also have inorganic gallium nitride-based LEDs, which have a longer lifespan than the organic compound used in OLED displays.
Nintendo on Twitter today confirmed that the company's upcoming iOS game, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, will launch worldwide on November 22. The confirmation of a release date comes nearly one month after the game was first unveiled in late October, after which it soft launched on the Australian iOS App Store and climbed to the top of the charts there faster than either Super Mario Run or Fire Emblem Heroes.
When it launches later this week, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will be a miniaturized version of the main games in the series, allowing players to visit and manage a campsite in lieu of a full village. At the camp, players can decorate the location with furniture to attract certain animal characters, as well as go fishing, hunt for bugs, shop, and more to complete quests and craft items to further deck out the camp.
Just like the other games in the series, time passes in real time so when you open the app the game will reflect the time of day in the real world, subsequently affecting certain bug and fish spawns and allowing for upcoming seasonal events. There's also a social aspect that allows players to visit the camps of their friends to get inspired by their designs, and sell or exchange items with them.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will be free-to-play, and uses optional "Leaf Tickets" so players can bypass long wait times when they build structures, purchase the materials needed to craft furniture, and more. If you're interested in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, visit our sister site Touch Arcade to read some first impressions on the game ahead of its release on November 22.
The "Hey Siri" theory was quickly confirmed by Rambo, who shared both a boot chime for BridgeOS and the setup process for "Hey Siri" discovered within macOS.
Rumors of ARM-based chips being included in Macs have been circulating for some time, and with the T1 chip appearing in the MacBook Pro to drive the Touch Bar last year, the rumor began coming to fruition. The T1 was just the first step in the process, however, with Bloomberg reporting in February that a custom "T310" ARM-based Mac chip similar to the T1 could be included in future Macs and take on some additional functionality such as handling "Power Nap" low-power mode functionality.
In June, Pike's Universum reported that the upcoming iMac Pro will include a Secure Enclave, suggesting the machine would indeed include an ARM-based coprocessor as on the MacBook Pro.
Unveiled at WWDC in June, the iMac Pro is scheduled to launch next month, but Apple has yet to give a specific launch date for the high-end desktop that will start at $4999.
The fifth review of my iPhone X Roundup series focuses on Spigen, OtterBox, LifeProof, Totallee, and Sena. If you've missed my previous posts, I'm taking a close look at iPhone X cases from a range of manufacturers. We don't often feature case reviews on MacRumors, but with the launch of the iPhone X and its new design, we felt it was worth exploring some of the available case options.
For all of these reviews, I'm looking at the general usability of iPhone X cases. Extreme drop tests and in-depth testing aren't covered because those factors are less important than how a case works on an average day, and it's often fairly easy to tell from design how protective a case is going to be.
Factors like bulk, button accessibility, general protection, grip, thickness, and appearance are what I focused on. All of the cases in this review roundup work with wireless chargers unless otherwise mentioned.
OtterBox
OtterBox used to be known primarily for its super bulky, ultra protective cases, but these days, OtterBox makes a lot of other cases that are still just as protective but add less bulk than the traditional Defender series.
Priced at $44.95, the Symmetry series offers OtterBox's slimmest cases. When I say slim, though, I mean in comparison to other OtterBox cases, not "slim" cases in general. The Symmetry is still a very thick case with a hard shell back and a rubber interior that wraps around all sides of the iPhone X.
Symmetry cases are not unattractive, but they're much thicker than I prefer for my iPhone. There is a thick lip that comes up over the display, and while a lip this thick protects the screen, it makes it undeniably more irritating to swipe up from the bottom of the display if you're a person who swipes from the very bottom. The mute switch is difficult to get to because of the thickness of the case, and it may not work with some docks. On the plus side, the volume and power buttons are easy to press. This is definitely a case that feels like it's going to offer a lot of protection from drops.
Apologies for missing last week's iOS gaming roundup, but I've got a good reason: I was in Jordan judging Middle Eastern and North African mobile games for the International Mobile Gaming Awards (IMGA). It's an organization that for fourteen years now has been hosting international competitions looking for the best mobile games.
I've been involved for several years now, and it's awesome actually having game awards specifically for mobile instead of how things usually go — a quick mention on the tail end of other "real" game awards that might vaguely acknowledge mobile. Submissions just started for this year's IMGA's, so if you're an iOS developer and want your game considered, be sure to submit it. Unlike a lot of game awards, submissions are totally free, so go wild.
Kicking things off is the announcement of the release date for the upcoming Reigns sequel, Reigns: Her Majesty. We'll once again be managing our kingdoms via Tinder-style right and left swiping decisions on December 7th. We got a closer look at the game back at PAX West which digs a lot deeper into what to expect than the above launch trailer.
Reigns is an unbelievably great game, and one that you can hand to both the most hardcore gamer and someone who has never played a game before and they'll both enjoy it. We've got a full review of the original up on TouchArcade, and so far it seems like the sequel is exactly what we wanted: More Reigns.
We've been closely following the upcoming global release of Animal Crossing Pocket Camp which, per Nintendo, is due out in "late November." Well, we're rapidly approaching the launch window which led us to suspect that Nintendo might be vague-tweeting a potential launch date reveal... But, in actuality, all it was is this promotional web site where Animal Crossing's Katrina reads your fortune to find your BFF in game. While it isn't a launch date, these sorts of things ramping up are a great sign that Pocket Camp is almost upon us. For what it's worth, I've got my money on it releasing early next week, so it can spread organically as everyone is playing it over family gatherings on Thanksgiving.
The curious thing about covering mobile games is sometimes you find yourself inadvertently at the center of incredibly odd situations, particularly with how ubiquitous mobile has gotten over the year. For instance, the most popular TouchArcade story of all time was when Apple removed games featuring the Confederate flag. Well, this week it came out that Russia was using mobile game screenshots to show "evidence" of US collusion with ISIS. It's a pretty unbelievable situation, but I suppose that's the case with practically everything in the news cycle these days. But, hey, the game they used, AC-130, is pretty fun to fiddle around with if you missed out playing the huge amount of these games on the App Store as they used to be very popular a few years ago.
We're also super excited for the upcoming release of Sky, the upcoming title by Thatgamecompany which Apple showed off at the last keynote. We got a quick look at the first six minutes of gameplay, which is narrated by Thatgamecompany's co-founder, Jenova Chen. The video is packed with so many insights it's hard to focus on just one, but I'm very curious to see how all the social components work out. They're born of people who played Journey, but found themselves wishing they could play with family and friends. I've got a lot of faith in Sky being very good, and I can't wait to try it out when it launches in a few months.
NetMarble's Lineage 2: Revolutionlaunched this week. It's based on the PC MMORPG Lineage 2, and features both realtime 20 vs. 20 and 50 vs. 50 battles. They've been pulling out all the stops when it comes to promoting the game — it was featured at TwitchCon, Conan O'Brien has been playing it, and tons more. The game boasted a massive 1.5 million pre-registrations before launch, and I'm supremely curious to see if it maintains that level of excitement in the following days.
While Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) is the biggest thing ever in the PC world right now, the Chinese publisher NetEase has been up to some incredibly curious things when it comes to launching knock-offs on mobile. Last week it launched a game in China with a title that roughly translates to "Wilderness Survival" which was a supremely on the nose PUBG knock-off. It soared to the top of the charts in China, leaving Western gamers curious when they could get a crack at the Battle Royale genre on mobile.
Here's where things get weird: NetEase then released not one, but two PUBG knock-offs on the App Store. Knives Out and Rules of Survival, which at first glance appear to be the exact same game, by the same developer, with different names. We reached out for clarification to find that NetEase apparently has two internal studios that are competing for who can make the most successful PUBG knock-off? Why you wouldn't do some sort of internal play test then decide, "OK, this is the one we're launching" instead of releasing both games is beyond me. But, hey, if you're into PUBG and want to play it on your iPhone... You have your choice between two incredibly similar games made by the same company. I'm sure this makes sense to someone.
Last, but not least, South Park: Phone Destroyer also hit the App Store recently. It's a free to play card-based fighting game, which is fairly ironic considering they've run entire episodes ruthlessly roasting free to play. But, hey, whatever. For what it's worth Phone Destroyer seems to be a pretty good card battler, and we put together a guide on how to win in South Park Phone Destroyer without spending money that's worth a look if you want to avoid spending money in the game.
That's all from me this week, but there's loads more things that have happened in the world of iOS gaming the last couple of weeks, so if you're interested in this scene be sure to swing by TouchArcade where we're posting this sort of thing day in and day out.
The Visitor's Center at Apple's new Apple Park campus opened up to the public this morning, allowing Apple fans to visit the Cupertino location to check out the campus and purchase souvenirs and snacks.
It features a cantilevered carbon fiber roof that was designed to look like it floats, along with staircases, stone walls, and terrazzo floors that match the aesthetic of the rest of the campus.
Inside, there's a large 3D model of Apple Park that provides guests with information about the campus through an augmented reality experience provided through dedicated iPads.
A store area offers a range of Apple products and accessories, including Apple Park-exclusive T-shirts, hats, postcards, baby onesies, playing cards, and tote bags. A cafe built into the Visitor's Center offers coffee, tea, and snacks.
On the roof, there's a roof terrace that offers views of the main building and the landscaping, which includes more than 9,000 trees. While visitors can view the rest of Apple Park from the Visitor's Center, the other areas of the campus are off limits.
The Apple Park Visitor's Center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, it opens at 10:00 a.m. and closes at 6:00 p.m., and on Sundays, it opens at 11:00 a.m. and closes at 6:00 p.m.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Mophie to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a powerstation USB-C XXL that's equipped with both USB-C and USB-A, so it can be used with a wide range of devices.
The powerstation USB-C XXL, priced at $149.95, features a 19,500 mAh battery, which Mophie says is enough juice to provide USB-C laptops (the MacBook specifically) with up to 14 hours of additional battery life.
Because it has both a USB-C and a USB-A port, the USB-C XXL can be used to charge all of your Apple devices, from the MacBook to the iPhone and iPad. The USB-C port offers up to 30W of charging, so it can fast charge your iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus when combined with a USB-C to Lightning cable.
With fast charging, an iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus can charge to 50% within 30 minutes, so that's a super handy feature to have available from a portable battery back. At 30W, this charger will work with the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models, but the charging will go more slowly and you won't see much gain while the machines are in use.
Over a standard USB-A to Lightning or micro-USB, the powerstation USB-C XXL offers 2.4A quick charging capabilities to charge your devices faster.
Size wise, the powerstation USB-C XXL is heftier than your average iPhone battery pack, but it's still portable at 6 inches long, 3 inches wide, and an inch tall, plus it looks quite nice with its fabric-wrapped body.
We have four powerstation USB-C XXL units 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 (November 17) at 11:15 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time on November 24. The winners will be chosen randomly on November 24 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 4.2 update to developers for testing purposes, four days after seeding the third watchOS 4.2 beta and over two weeks after releasing the watchOS 4.1 update.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS 4.2 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.
watchOS 4.2 brings support for Apple Pay Cash, Apple's new peer-to-peer payment service that is designed to let users send money to one another. Apple Pay Cash can be used to send and receive money through the Messages app on the Apple Watch.
Aside from Apple Pay Cash, watchOS 4.2 appears to focus primarily on under-the-hood bug fixes and security updates.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 11.2 update to developers for testing purposes, four days after seeding the third tvOS 11.2 update and over two weeks after the launch of tvOS 11.1.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the tvOS 11.2 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.
According to Apple's release notes, the tvOS 11.2 update enables a new AVDisplayManager feature for developers, designed to allow the device to automatically switch video display modes to match the native frame rate and dynamic range of video content.
The update includes support for switching the Apple TV 4K display output to SDR for apps that are GPU-bound when running in HDR and it re-introduces the Unwatched category in Home Sharing for Movies, TV Shows, and Home Videos.
Apple says tvOS 11.2 also adds new features, bug fixes, and security improvements to the tvOS operating system.
Update: Apple has also seeded a new version of tvOS 11.2 to public beta testers.
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming iOS 11.2 update to developers, four days after releasing the third iOS 11.2 beta, more than two weeks after releasing the first major iOS 11 update, iOS 11.1, and one day after the iOS 11.1.2 update.
Registered developers can download the new iOS 11.2 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.
iOS 11.2 introduces Apple Pay Cash, Apple's new peer-to-peer payments service. Apple Pay Cash works through the Messages app and is designed to allow for quick person-to-person money transfers. It's available as a dedicated iMessage app in Messages, with cash transferred through the app.
Cash can be sent from a linked debit or credit card, while received cash is stored in an Apple Pay Cash card in Wallet that can be used for purchases or sent to a bank account.
On the iPhone X, iOS 11.2 adds a small bar underneath the icons located at the upper right side of the device on the Lock screen, which is designed to make the location of the Control Center gesture more clear. On the iPhone X, Control Center is accessed by swiping down from the top of the device.
In Control Center on all devices, there are two new informational pop-ups that are displayed when using the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth toggles. These pop-ups explain that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are disabled temporarily rather than permanently when accessed from Control Center.
In iOS 11.2, there's support for faster 7.5W wireless charging for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus. The faster speeds will be available when using third-party wireless chargers that support 7.5W charging or more.
The update also addresses an animation bug in the Calculator app that caused some numbers and symbols to be ignored when entered in rapid succession. The update removes the animations from the calculator app so calculations can be done quickly with no need to pause between entering numbers to obtain the correct result.
In addition to these bug fixes, iOS 11.2 introduces a new Now Playing option for controlling content on the Apple TV in Control Center, redesigned camera emoji, a new loading animation for Live Photos effects, and new Live wallpapers for the iPhone X, plus it adds a feature that lets developers offer new customers discounted introductory pricing for auto-renewable subscriptions on the App Store.
Update: Apple has also seeded a new version of iOS 11.2 to public beta testers.
Promise Technology today announced the launch of its new TD-300 Thunderbolt 3 dock, which is designed for Apple's latest MacBook Pro models with USB-C and Thunderbolt 3.
The TD-300 features five USB 3.0 ports (three at the back and two at the front), two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an audio in/out port, and an HDMI 2.0 port.
There are a range of Thunderbolt 3 docks on the market now, but Promise Technology's TD-300 includes a good number of ports and an SD card slot, something that we've only seen on OWC's TB3 dock. A Thunderbolt 3 cable and power adapter are also included.
Promise Technology's dock supports two 4K displays or one 5K display and delivers up to 60W of power to charge a MacBook Pro. That's sufficient for the 13-inch MacBook Pro models, but may be inadequate for charging a 15-inch MacBook Pro under a heavy load.
"As part of our mission to offer solutions that are optimized for rich media workflows, we're constantly expanding our portfolio of innovative solutions that harness the latest technology," noted Vijay Char, president, Promise Technology USA. "The addition of a Thunderbolt 3 dock brings a new level of efficiency and flexibility to creative professionals. Laptops can be charged at the fastest speeds possible, images from DSLR cameras are easily transferred, peripherals such as hard drives and monitors can be daisy-chained for increased productivity, 4K video can be sent to multiple displays, and more. The possibilities are truly endless."
Apple today announced it has delayed the release of the HomePod until early 2018. The speaker was originally set to launch in December.
In a statement provided to MacRumors and other media outlets, Apple said it needs "a little more time" before the HomePod is ready.
We can't wait for people to experience HomePod, Apple's breakthrough wireless speaker for the home, but we need a little more time before it's ready for our customers. We'll start shipping in the US, UK and Australia in early 2018.
Apple's definition of "early" in a year is generally January through April. Apple did not provide a specific reason for the delay.
Apple unveiled the HomePod at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. At the time, Apple said the speaker would launch in December for $349, starting in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.
HomePod is the first Apple product delayed since the AirPods in October 2016. At the time, Apple also said it needed "a little more time" before the wireless headphones were ready. AirPods eventually launched in December 2016.
HomePod also serves as a "Hey Siri" assistant and HomeKit hub. The high-fidelity speaker is equipped with spatial awareness and Apple-engineered audio technology, including a seven‑tweeter array and high-excursion woofer, and is powered by Apple's A8 chip. A firmware leak reveals it likely has 1GB of RAM.
Apple's next-generation iPhone models released in 2018 will feature Intel's XMM 7560 and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X20 modems, enabling faster LTE transmission speeds, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Image: KGI Securities
Kuo highlighted that both new chips support 4x4 MIMO technology, compared to only 2x2 MIMO in the latest iPhone models, which leads him to believe LTE transmission speeds will increase significantly in 2018 iPhones.
In his latest research note, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo predicted Intel will supply Apple with 70 to 80 percent or more of the baseband chips.
New baseband chips from Intel & Qualcomm will significantly boost transmission speed of new 2H18 iPhone models thanks to supporting 4x4 MIMO antenna design: We believe that 2H18 new iPhones will upgrade baseband chips from Intel’s XMM 7480 and Qualcomm's MDM 9655 in 2H17 to Intel’s XMM 7560 and Qualcomm's SDX 20. As both new chips support 4x4 MIMO technology, compared to only 2x2 MIMO in 2H17, we anticipate LTE transmission speeds will increase significantly. We believe Intel will supply Apple with 70-80% or more of required baseband chips.
Kuo also predicted that next year's iPhone models will feature dual-SIM dual standby (DSDS), with support for LTE+LTE connections, which allows two SIM cards to be active simultaneously using only one set of chips.
2H18 iPhone models won't only offer faster LTE transmission speed: We predict that at least one of the 2H18 new iPhone models will support dual-SIM dual standby (DSDS). Unlike existing DSDS phones, which commonly support LTE+3G connections, we believe next-generation iPhone models will support LTE+LTE connections, in a bid to enhance the user experience.
It's not entirely clear if the new iPhones would have a dual SIM card slot or if one of the SIM cards would be embedded into the device.
Apple has authorized coverage within four years from the original purchase date of affected models, according to an internal document distributed to Apple Authorized Service Providers and later obtained by MacRumors.
Eligible models, listed below, qualify for a free display replacement within the four-year coverage period. Check your receipt to determine the exact purchase date of your MacBook or MacBook Pro.
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2013) • MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2013) • MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2013) • MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2013) • MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2014) • MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2014) • MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2015) • MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2015) • MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016) • MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016) • MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017) • MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017) • MacBook (12-inch, Early 2015) • MacBook (12-inch, Early 2016) • MacBook (12-inch, Early 2017)
Apple's document states that all 2012 MacBook Pro models are no longer eligible since they were discontinued over four years ago.
Apple previously confirmed to us that this repair program continues to be handled internally rather than being publicly announced.
Affected customers can schedule a Genius Bar appointment at an Apple Store using the Apple Support app. Or, on the Get Support page, click Mac → Mac Notebooks → Hardware Issues → Display Issue and options should be presented to initiate a repair or contact Apple via phone, email, or online chat.
Apple's support website will ask for your Mac's serial number, which can be found by clicking on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen and clicking on About This Mac in the dropdown menu.
We've learned that Apple has supposedly prohibited support advisors from mentioning details about the anti-reflective coating repair program in online chat sessions, so visiting an Apple Store may be required. If you contact Apple by phone, asking for your call to be escalated to a senior advisor may help.
Affected customers can also visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider to determine if their notebook is eligible for coverage. Apple's document states that these third-party repair shops can even replace displays with other damage free of charge so long as the anti-reflective coating issues are present.
Apple's internal document also states that customers who already incurred out-of-warranty costs related to this issue continue to be eligible for a refund, which can be initiated by contacting Apple support directly.
Apple first began this repair program in October 2015, and already extended it once, after some MacBook and MacBook Pro users experienced issues with the anti-reflective coating wearing off or delaminating on Retina displays.
The damage appears to be caused by a variety of factors, including the pressure of the keyboard and trackpad on the display when closed, and the use of incorrect third-party cleaning solutions with microfiber cloths.
Over 12,000 customers joined a Facebook group dedicated to the issue, and hundreds of others have claimed to be affected across the Apple Support Communities, MacRumors forums, Twitter, Reddit, and other discussion platforms. The website Staingate.org contains a gallery of damaged displays.
Apple is collaborating with its Taiwanese supplier TSMC to solve manufacturing issues preventing volume production of micro-LED display panels, according to 
Apple today announced it has delayed the release of the 
