MacRumors

Apple's trouble with getting a wide array of its users, retail partners, and banks to adopt Apple Pay has been highlighted in a new article today by The Wall Street Journal, which also underlines a belief from Apple executives that the service's growth is adequate and that Apple Pay could soon become consumers' "primary payment system," in lieu of cash and credit cards.

Data collected from technology research firm Creative Strategies reported that 40 percent of U.S. consumers have raised concerns about security risks of adding a credit or debit card onto their iPhone, while more than 60 percent aren't even familiar with contactless payments.

While data from a recent Nilson Report noted that Apple Pay's rate of acceptance has "more than doubled since 2015," only a third of stores based in the U.S. have accepted it as a form of payment. Many well-known companies have rolled out support for the service, including Best Buy and Whole Foods, but there remain notable absences from Apple Pay's retail supporter list, namely Target and Wal-Mart.

Braden More, the head of partnerships and industry relations at Wells Fargo, asked, "If you can’t use it everywhere, why are you going to switch?" This reticence by consumers to jump in on Apple Pay's launch is said to have permeated within the company surrounding its debut, to the point where Apple executives "were reluctant to promote it." Apple Pay has been noticeably absent from the company's advertising strategy since its launch, with just two Apple Pay-focused commercials being made in nearly three years.

Apple expected consumers to embrace Apple Pay as energetically as they did iTunes—an instant hit when it launched in 2003—because executives felt it was faster and safer than existing payment systems, a former employee on the project said. When retailers didn’t support it initially, the person said, Apple executives were reluctant to promote it and invest in retail terminals that would spur adoption.

More recently, the company has become less concerned with Apple Pay's slow adoption over the past few years, because it still sees the mobile wallet as a nascent service whose domination over the industry will come with time. "Does it matter if we get there in two years, three years [or] five years?" Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue said in an interview. "Ultimately, no." Cue compared Apple Pay's adoption as faster than other mobile wallets and thinks it could go so far as to replace cash, debit and credit cards as a primary payment system.

Until that happens, Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey is working on beefing up the company's retail training so that users aren't more knowledgable of paying with the service than employees. The company is said to be working with retailers to add Apple Pay instructions into work manuals as a way to spread knowledge of the mobile wallet's check-out process.

Apple Pay made $30 million for the company in the last fiscal year, accounting for a small portion of Apple's total services business, which made $24.35 billion in total in the same period. While adoption is low and consumer knowledge remains slim, Apple's services business -- which includes iCloud, the App Store, iTunes, and more -- has become a point of focus for the company, so much so that it expects to double its revenue in this area by 2021, Apple Pay expectedly included.

For this reason, David Roberts of Nilson said that Apple Pay is right on the cusp of a wider, "ubiquitous" acceptance.

Nilson Report publisher David Robertson said that with about a third of U.S. retailers adopting it, Apple Pay is on the cusp of broad acceptance. “It’s going to become so ubiquitous that we will all do it,” he said.

Notably, the rest of 2017 is a big year for Apple and Apple Pay, as the year marks the three-year anniversary of Apple Pay, as well as the end of three-year contract agreements that the company made with banks and credit card issuers back in 2014. Apple will begin negotiations to renew these contracts for the next few years, which the company hopes to be a major contributing factor in helping to double its services revenue over the next four years.

Apple has informed its authorized resellers that the Mac Pro's new 8-core stock configuration will be available to order by the end of April. Until then, Apple said the model can be created by selecting the 6-core option and using the configure-to-order options to match the 8-core model's upgraded tech specs.

Packaging changes are likely the only reason why the 8-core model is currently unavailable as a stock configuration to resellers and customers, given that the base model customized with an 8-core processor and dual AMD FirePro D700 GPUs for the same price currently ships in 1-3 business days on Apple.com.

Apple adjusted its Mac Pro configurations and pricing yesterday. The former 6-core model with dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs and 16GB of RAM for $3,999 is now the $2,999 base model, while the previously configure-to-order 8-core model with dual D700 GPUs and 16GB of RAM is now the high-end stock configuration for $3,999.

Apple listed the new Mac Pro configurations on its online store on Tuesday, but the 8-core model is currently unavailable for customers to order. Apple's website briefly said the 8-core model would be available in "30 business days," somewhat in line with the end of April, but that estimate was quickly removed.

Apple has discontinued the previous base model, equipped with a quad-core Xeon E5 processor, dual AMD FirePro D300 GPUs, and 12GB of RAM.

The bigger news is that Apple said it is working on a "completely rethought" Mac Pro featuring a modular design. The all-new Mac Pro, which won't launch until at least next year, will be Apple's highest-end, highest-throughput system, and it will be accompanied by a new Apple-branded pro-focused external display.

Apple also said that it is working on new iMac models that will be unveiled later this year, but it remained tight-lipped about what to expect. It is rare for Apple to pre-announce future products in this manner, but it was a welcomed response to concerns that Apple was no longer focused on professional users.

Given that the current Mac Pro still has over three year old hardware, prospective buyers should weigh the price drop against the old tech before purchasing the computer. Some professionals might consider waiting for the completely redesigned and modular Mac Pro launching at some point after 2017.

(Thanks, Holden!)

The next-generation Apple Watch is scheduled to be released in the second half of 2017, according to supply chain newspaper DigiTimes.

The timeline matches a Chinese-language Economic Daily News report that claimed new Apple Watch models will be unveiled in the third quarter of 2017, aka fall, with battery life and performance improvements.

Apple Watch Series 2 models and slightly upgraded Series 1 models launched in September alongside the iPhone 7, so it is reasonable to assume that Series 3 models could launch in September as well. The original Apple Watch, now dubbed Series 0, launched in April 2015.

In addition to a faster processor and longer battery life, cellular connectivity has been a long-rumored addition to the Apple Watch, and SIG analyst Christopher Rolland believes LTE capabilities could be included in Series 3 models. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also said LTE could be added as early as 2017.

With a cellular connection, Apple Watch owners would not need a paired iPhone nearby to do things like make phone calls or stream Apple Music content, but a separate data plan from a carrier would likely be needed.

Apple is also expected to switch to a glass-film touchscreen this year in place of the current touch-on-lens solution, but it is unclear if this change would have any obvious consumer-facing benefits.

The overall design of the Apple Watch has not changed since the original models launched in April 2015, but one report yet to be substantiated claims Series 3 models will have few if any significant hardware changes. Apple has instead introduced new bands each season to offer a fresh look and feel.

Few other details are known about the next Apple Watch at this point, and no parts have leaked from the supply chain yet.

Apple has filed patents for a number of ideas that could eventually be included in an Apple Watch, such as a heart rate identification system, modular bands, haptic feedback band, and a band with a built-in charger. More significant health and fitness features could be added pending further FDA approvals.

Quanta Computer is expected to remain the primary manufacturer of the Apple Watch, with some production reportedly shifting to Compal Electronics.

Apple could delay its rumored high-end iPhone with a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge OLED display until October or even November, according to a new report out on Wednesday.

In recent years, Apple has released its iPhone updates in September, but according to Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN), suppliers are encountering "technical issues" in the production of the upcoming "iPhone 8" because of differences in the display lamination process and challenges involved in integrating the 3D sensing front camera system.

The report tallies with a rumor that circulated last month suggesting the iPhone 8 may go on sale later than usual, due to the switch to an OLED display and the new technology needed. In such a scenario, the launch of an iPhone 7s and 7s Plus would go ahead in September as scheduled, with the higher-end iPhone 8 coming later in the year.

Such a staggered release would be highly untypical of Apple, and it's hard to imagine the company holding a September launch event for "S" cycle iPhones with no mention of the highly rumored OLED device. However, it is possible the higher-end phone could be revealed at the same time but launched in limited quantities or at a later date. Barclays analysts recently claimed that Apple will launch its "10th anniversary iPhone" in the usual September timeframe, albeit in short supply until a full stock arrives in the fourth quarter.

Earlier this week it was reported that Apple has placed an order for 70 million OLED panels from Samsung, anticipating high demand. Samsung is preparing to be able to produce up to 95 million panels in 2017, said the sources.

Market watchers are said to be analyzing the pull-in of orders for passive components from the iPhone's supply chain to see whether production of the new iPhone devices is on track, according to EDN. Apart from the edge-to-edge OLED display, the "iPhone 8" is expected to include wireless charging, no physical Home button, and perhaps 3D facial recognition and/or iris scanning. In addition, rumors suggest that Touch ID could be embedded in or under a True Tone display.

(Via DigiTimes.)

Apple's widely rumored high-end iPhone with an OLED display is expected to cost upwards of $1,000, but UBS analyst Steven Milunovich believes that a base 64GB model could start at $850 to $900 in the United States. That price point would be similar to Samsung's new Galaxy S8+, which starts at $840 to $850.

Milunovich said the flagship iPhone could start at under $1,000 as part of Apple's "mainstream luxury" pricing strategy. He also believes the 5.8-inch device will be competing at a screen size disadvantage compared to the 6.2-inch Galaxy S8+, leading him to predict Apple will adopt similar pricing as Samsung.

Milunovich thinks that a 256GB model could cost between $950 and $1,000, so the iPhone could very well be the first mainstream smartphone in the United States to have a four-digit price tag. He also predicted that the tentatively named iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus will start at around $649 and $749 respectively.

An excerpt from Milunovich's latest research note obtained by MacRumors:

Contrary to some perceptions, Apple prices quite competitively. Apple likes to position its entry-level products at the mid-market with "Pro/Plus" products close to competitors at the high end. Therefore, we do not think Apple will stray far from the price point of Samsung's most expensive model at $840-850 and will keep the entry OLED model at $850-900. Apple's 256GB OLED model could be $950-1,000, but the 256GB 7 Plus already is $970.

The research note cites UBS Asia hardware analyst Arthur Hsieh, who estimates the factory cost of the tentatively named iPhone 8 could be $70 to $90 higher than the iPhone 7 Plus, which starts at $769. Milunovich's prices appear to be merely predictions based on this information, rather than inside sources.

In addition to an edge-to-edge OLED display with narrow bezels, the iPhone 8 is expected to resemble the Galaxy S8 in many ways, including wireless charging, no physical Home button, and potentially 3D facial recognition and/or iris scanning. Touch ID might be embedded in or under the True Tone display.

Milunovich maintains a "buy" rating for AAPL with a $151 price target. AAPL closed at an all-time high of $144.77 on Tuesday.

Apple today sent out emails to a small number of iCloud users, warning them that a bug in iOS 10.3 may have caused some iCloud services that had been disabled to be mistakenly re-enabled.

The email asks iCloud users to revisit their iCloud settings to make sure to turn off any service that might have been turned on through the iOS 10.3 update.

It's not entirely clear which iCloud services might have been affected, but MacRumors reader Karl, who sent us the email, said that he typically disables iCloud Mail. Following the update, he found the Mail option turned back on.

We discovered a bug in the recent iOS 10.3 software update that impacted a small number of iCloud users. This may have inadvertently reenabled some iCloud services that you had previously disabled on your device.

We suggest you go to iCloud settings on your iOS device to make sure that only the services you'd like to use are enabled.
Learn more about how to manage your iCloud settings or contact AppleCare with any questions.

The iCloud team

iOS 10.3, released on March 27, introduced a new Apple Filesystem among other major features like Find My AirPods, plus it included an overhauled iCloud storage breakdown, which may explain why some iCloud services were mistakenly turned back on.

To check which iCloud services are enabled on your iOS device, open the Settings app and scroll down to the "iCloud" section. A list of apps and services using iCloud is front and center, and anything that was enabled via iOS 10.3 can be turned off using the toggle buttons.

A wide range of first and third-party apps and services use Apple's iCloud feature, including Photos, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Notes, Safari, News, and more.

Update: According to Apple, iCloud Photo Library, iCloud Keychain, and Find My iPhone were not affected by the issue. The bug has been fixed in the iOS 10.3.1 update, so those who have not yet updated to iOS 10.3 but choose to update to iOS 10.3.1 will not be impacted by the bug. Apple has not shared how many users were affected by the bug but says not everyone who updated to iOS 10.3 will experience it.

Apple today announced that it will be opening its second retail location in Dubai, the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates.

The store will be located at The Dubai Mall in downtown Dubai, opposite the Burj Khalifa, the tallest structure in the world. As we reported in February, the store will be split into two floors inside the shopping mall. Apple said the grand opening will be "soon," but it did not provide a specific date or time.

Apple is celebrating the upcoming grand opening with an artistic display on its website and on the construction barrier covering the storefront.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Apple continues to renovate a number of its older stores with its newer retail design introduced in 2015.

Apple has announced that its stores in Burlingame, California and Canoga Park in Los Angeles temporarily closed for renovations on Sunday. Apple also temporarily closed its store at The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on March 25 for renovations. All three stores will likely reopen by the end of the year.

Apple also announced that its current North Point Mall store in Alpharetta, Georgia will be closing and relocating to Avalon, a new mixed-use development in the Atlanta suburb. The grand opening is April 13 at 10:00 a.m. local time.

Elsewhere, construction continues for Apple's upcoming flagship store near the historic Michigan Avenue Bridge in downtown Chicago.

The store will include a "grand flight of stairs" going from street level to a walkway alongside the Chicago River's north bank. At street level, the store will have an entry pavilion that's 14-feet high. Pedestrians entering from North Michigan Avenue can reach the sales floor by stairs or elevator.

MacRumors has also received a tip from reader David about Apple possibly expanding its retail store at the Providence Place shopping mall in Providence, Rhode Island. David sent us a photo of what appears to be Apple's typical black construction barrier taking up four units on the lower level of the Macy's wing of the mall.

The tipster said he confirmed with multiple employees that the construction is indeed for a new Apple Store in the mall, which will replace its much smaller one down the hall. The tipster has heard that Apple is aiming to complete construction by June, and the store will likely open at some point in the summer.

Apple's newer retail layout often includes wider open spaces with some combination of large glass doors, touch-sensitive sequoia wood tables and shelves, seating areas for community events, large 6K resolution video screens, indoor trees, and light boxes extending the length of the ceiling.

Apple is similarly expanding its retail stores at Danbury Fair Mall in Danbury, Connecticut and Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Update: Apple is also putting the finishes touches on its first store in Singapore, expected to open at some point in the next few months.

Apple today announced price drops for its Mac Pro lineup ahead of a major revamp coming in the future, dropping the 4-core option and significantly lowering the prices of its new baseline 6-core and 8-core machines.

Apple has also made Mac Pro build-to-order processor and GPU upgrades much more affordable for pro users who need higher-end specs than the base machines provide.

Upgrading the new 3.5GHz entry-level 6-core Mac Pro to the 3.0GHz 8-core processor now costs $800, while upgrading to the 2.7GHz 12-core machine costs $2,000. Prior to today, the 8-core upgrade was priced at $1,500, and the 12-core upgrade was priced at $3,000.

GPU upgrades are also more affordable. With the 6-core machine, upgrading from the stock dual AMD FirePro D500 to the FirePro D700 now costs $200, an upgrade that was previously priced at $600. The GPU upgrade isn't necessary on the new stock 8-core machine, as it ships with the D700s.

RAM and flash storage upgrade pricing has not changed, however. It continues to cost $400 to upgrade to 32GB RAM and $1,200 to upgrade to 64GB RAM. 512GB flash storage is available for $200, and the 1TB flash storage upgrade costs $600. Prices on flash storage were lowered back in October alongside the launch of the new MacBook Pro.

All in all, a maxed out Mac Pro machine with a 12-core processor, 64GB RAM, 1TB flash storage, and dual AMD FirePro D700 GPUs will now cost $6,999 instead of $9,599.

The Mac Pro lineup has not gained any refreshed or updated hardware -- all that's changed is configuration and price. The machines continue to use Ivy Bridge E Xeon processors, dual AMD FirePro GPUs, and Thunderbolt 2.

Apple's reconfigured Mac Pros are available starting today from the online Apple Store and Apple retail stores. The 6-core model can be purchased immediately, but the 8-core model is listed as "currently unavailable."

Today's price drops come ahead of a promised overhauled Mac Pro that will be introduced sometime after this year. Apple is working on a high-end high-throughput modular Mac Pro system that will facilitate regular upgrades to meet the needs of Apple's pro user base.