MacRumors

Apple must compensate a Brazilian customer who recently purchased an iPhone for selling the device without a charger included in the box, which violates consumer law, a judge has ruled.

Apple's decision to remove the charger in the box sparked controversy in 2020. Apple claims the move is for environmental reasons, claiming the decision is equivalent to removing nearly 450,000 cars from the road per year.

Nonetheless, the move has sparked some public and legal outcry. In the latest development, a judge in Brazil, a country that has long-questioned Apple's reasoning to remove the accessory, is forcing Apple to compensate a customer nearly $1,075 for the lack of a charger. As reported by Tecmundo:

According to article 39 of the Consumer Code (CDC), "tie sale" is an abusive and prohibited practice in Brazil, so it is not allowed to sell cell phone and charger separately. Therefore, Apple is being sentenced after selling an iPhone model and charger separately to a consumer in the city of Goiânia.

According to the result issued by Judge Vanderlei Caires Pinheiro, of the 6th Civil Court of Goiânia, Apple must compensate the consumer R$ 5 thousand for carrying out the "tie sale" of the company's devices.

Last year, Brazil fined Apple $2 million as a punishment for violating consumer law and disrespecting Brazilian customers, according to the head of the consumer group Procon-SP, Fernando Capez.

At one point, it seemed plausible that Brazil would have forced Apple to include a charger in the box for every ‌iPhone‌ sold in the country. Procon-SP said that the charger is an "essential part" of the smartphone experience.

By not providing one alongside the device, Apple was therefore breaching the Brazilian Consumer Defense Code, according to the consumer protection agency. Apple responded by arguing that many customers already have chargers in their homes, adding the environmental benefits of removing the charger and significantly reducing the overall ‌iPhone‌ box footprint.

The original HomePod, which Apple discontinued in March 2021, now appears to be appreciating in value on online marketplace sites (via The Verge).

The ‌HomePod‌ originally debuted for $349, before Apple reduced it to $299 just over a year later. Following lackluster sales, Apple discontinued the HomePod and said it was focusing on the HomePod mini going forward. The ‌HomePod‌ has still continued to receive software updates and new functionality.

Since then, research data from eBay indicates that the value of the ‌HomePod‌ has been gradually appreciating over time. 6,610 HomePods have been sold on eBay in the past year, with an average selling price of $347.61, over 15 percent more than Apple's retail price. 2,082 new or sealed HomePods were sold in this period of time with an average selling price of $432.27.

Over the past week, used or refurbished HomePods sold for an average price of $336.03, while new HomePods sold for an average price of $638.76, indicating a steady climb in value. The Verge places the ‌HomePod‌'s average appreciation at around 25 percent over Apple's $299 retail price. HomePods in used condition with no box tend to sell for prices starting at around $220, but new, factory-sealed HomePods can sell for over $500.

There has also been a noticeable decline in the number of HomePods listed for sale on eBay over time, which may contribute to the product's increase in value. Nevertheless, demand for Apple's large smart speaker appears to persist on online marketplaces, despite the device being almost five years old and containing the A8 chip from the iPhone 6.

Apple is still believed to be working on a successor to the HomePod that combines a smart speaker, Apple TV functions, and a FaceTime camera.

Amazon today has a collection of discounts across Apple's Mac family of computers, including record low prices on the 24-inch iMac and Mac mini. Many of these deals won't be reflected until you reach the checkout screen on Amazon, so be sure to pay attention to those models that have automatic coupons.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

24-Inch iMac

Amazon has all three 24-inch iMac models at all-time low prices, starting at $1,199.00 for the 7-core GPU/256GB iMac, down from $1,299.00. This sale is only available in the Blue color option.

Secondly, the 8-core GPU/256GB iMac is down to $1,349.00 in every color on Amazon, down from $1,499.00. At $150 off, this is a match of the previous record low price and one of the unique instances that we're seeing all seven color options discounted at once.

Lastly, in a rare discount we're tracking the 8-core GPU/512GB iMac down to a new best-ever price of $1,499.99, from $1,699.00. This one is only available in Blue and Green, and it is the steepest discount we've ever tracked on this higher-end model of the 24-inch iMac.

Shoppers should note that for the 8-core GPU/256GB and 8-core GPU/512GB iMac models, you won't see the deal price until you head to the checkout screen. At that point Amazon will automatically apply a coupon code to the order and bring these iMacs down to their all-time low prices.

Mac mini

Last week we tracked a record low deal on the 256GB Mac mini from 2020, and now Amazon is offering an all-time low price on the 512GB model. You can get this version for $749.99, down from $899.00, and only Amazon is offering this sale.

This deal won't be reflected until you add the Mac mini to your cart and head to the checkout screen. After this, Amazon will automatically apply a coupon worth $119.01 and you'll see the full discount on the computer applied to your order.

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

Samsung is planning to use a battery production technique normally used for electric vehicles to create more energy-dense smartphone batteries, in a move that could improve the battery life of future iPhone models, The Elec reports.

Samsung SDI, Samsung's battery and energy division, intends to use a production technique it currently uses to make fifth-generation batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) to manufacture batteries for tablets and smartphones, according to sources speaking to The Elec. Rather than the wound jellyroll method that is often used to make rechargeable batteries, the EV method stacks battery materials in layers to increase energy density by over 10 percent without taking up any more internal space.

The company is said to be modifying production lines in South Korea to be able to manufacture the new batteries, and it has already built a pilot line for the stacking method in China. The Elec proposes that Samsung could be seeking to win orders from Apple for the new type of battery. Samsung SDI has supplied batteries for MacBook and iPad models in the past, but has never manufactured batteries for iPhones. Currently, Apple's main battery supplier is China's Amperex Technology.

Apple currently uses an L-shaped multi-cell battery in the ‌iPhone‌, where multiple batteries are connected to make the best use of internal space and increase battery life. Batteries with higher energy density could allow Apple to move away from the multi-cell design, free up internal space, and make the ‌iPhone‌ lighter without sacrificing battery life, or retain the same design and moderately increase battery life.

Apple could launch its first full-screen smartphone in 2024, with the "iPhone 16 Pro" potentially the first Apple device to feature under-display Face ID and an under-screen front camera, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a tweet today.

I think the real full-screen iPhone will come in 2024. High-end iPhones in 2024 would adopt an under-display front camera alongside the under-display Face ID. A low-light condition is detrimental to front camera quality, and ISP & algorithm are critical for quality improvements.

Kuo's comments build on his previous prediction that an iPhone with under-screen Touch ID no longer features in Apple's short-term plans. Indeed, Kuo's latest tweet links to a previous one in which he agreed with display analyst Ross Young's claim that under-screen Face ID is coming to the iPhone 16, while Touch ID isn't.

In his earlier tweet, Kuo suggested that Apple's roadmap for adopting under-display Face ID in 2024 was "less of a technical issue" and more likely a marketing decision, but his latest thoughts on the matter appear to suggest that current hardware and software limitations could also be a factor as Apple works to perfect under-screen technology.

This year's high-end ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 14 models are expected to ditch the notch, replacing it with a pill-shaped cutout and hole-punch camera. Where Apple goes from there is unclear, but a rumor in 2019 claimed Apple has prototyped at least one iPhone with an edge-to-edge screen, with the TrueDepth camera sensors for Face ID instead housed in the thin bezel above the display.

Privacy-focused browser Brave has announced a new feature that bypasses pages rendered with Google's AMP framework and automatically redirects users to the original website.

AMP, or Accelerated Mobile Pages, is Google's non-standard subset of HTML that renders page content to make it look like its coming from the original publisher's website, when in fact it's being served from Google's servers.

Google claims that AMP improves website performance and simplifies the browsing experience, but critics say the framework furthers the monopolization of the web and is harmful to privacy, since it gives Google even more information on which pages users visit and how they interact with them.

In a blog post announcing the AMP-bypassing feature, called De-AMP, Brave explained how it would "protect" users from AMP in several ways.

Where possible, De-AMP will rewrite links and URLs to prevent users from visiting AMP pages altogether. And in cases where that is not possible, Brave will watch as pages are being fetched and redirect users away from AMP pages before the page is even rendered, preventing AMP/Google code from being loaded and executed.

Google is currently developing a successor to AMP, based on its Signed Exchange and WebBundle proposals, both of which Brave has previously criticized on the grounds of user control, performance, and privacy.

Last year, Brave dropped Google as its default search engine and replaced it with the more privacy-oriented Brave Search, which uses an independent index and doesn't track users or their searches.

Netflix lost subscribers for the first time in more than a decade in Q1 2022, according to subscriber numbers the company said during today's earnings results. Netflix is down more than 200,000 subscribers, and the losses are set to continue.

Netflix was expecting to add 2.5 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, but did not hit that target. The suspension of its business in Russia cost it 700,000 subscribers, and without that loss, Netflix would have added 500,000 paid global users, which is still well below its projections.

In the United States and Canada, Netflix lost 600,000 customers, due to recent pricing changes. Netflix said this subscriber loss was anticipated and in line with expectations.

In a letter to shareholders [PDF], Netflix said that revenue growth has "slowed considerably," with the company faulting "a large number of households sharing accounts" and "competition" as reasons for the drop off. Netflix estimates that its 222 million paying households are sharing with an additional 100 million households that are not being monetized.

Going forward, Netflix said that it plans to implement "more effective monetization of multi-household sharing," which suggests that Netflix will soon enact measures to prevent account sharing. Netflix in March began testing an extra payment for those who share their Netflix accounts with people outside their households.

In Netflix's current test markets of Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru, customers can pay an extra fee to share their accounts with two people outside of their household. When the test was launched, Netflix said that it was working to "understand the utility of these two features" before making changes in other countries.

Netflix has always included wording in its terms and services that prevents account usage across multiple households, but until now, the service has ignored password sharing. Netflix also recently enacted new price hikes, and a 4K streaming plan is priced at $20 per month.

It's worth noting that Netflix is the only streaming service that charges by streaming quality. In the U.S., Netflix charges $9.99 for the Basic no-HD plan that allows for streaming on a single device, $15.49 for a Standard HD plan that allows for two people to watch at the same time, and $19.99 for a Premium plan with Ultra HD streaming and support for four simultaneous viewers.

In the second quarter of 2022, Netflix is anticipating losing two million paid subscribers. To mitigate the continued losses, Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings said that in addition to addressing password sharing, the company is considering a more affordable, ad-supported plan within a year or two.

Apple appears to have released updated firmware for the MagSafe Battery Pack that is compatible with the iPhone 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 13 models that support MagSafe accessories.

The updated firmware should be going out over the air starting today, and ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ owners should see a 2.7.b.0 version number in the Settings app after the firmware is installed.

Firmware updates are done quietly over the air and Apple does not provide release notes, so we do not know what features or bug fixes might be included in the software. There is no clear method for updating the firmware of the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ firmware, but it should be connected to an ‌iPhone‌ for the update to initiate.

Apple last updated the ‌MagSafe Battery Pack‌ firmware in December, and the prior firmware is 2.5.b.0.

Apple Card users will now receive 3% Daily Cash on purchases made at Ace Hardware stores in the U.S., in the Ace Hardware app, and on AceHardware.com.

To be eligible for 3% Daily Cash, the purchase must be completed via Apple Pay using the digital version of the Apple Card in the Wallet app on the iPhone or Apple Watch. Purchases made with a physical Apple Card will still receive 1% Daily Cash.

Ace Hardware is the first home improvement retailer to offer 3% Daily Cash for purchases made with an Apple Card via Apple Pay, up from the standard 2% rate. Other businesses that offer 3% Daily Cash in the U.S. include Apple, Duane Reade, Exxon, Mobil, Nike, Panera Bread, T-Mobile, Uber, Uber Eats, and Walgreens.

Apple Card is Apple's credit card, launched in 2019 in partnership with Goldman Sachs. The credit card remains exclusive to U.S. residents and can be managed completely through the Wallet app on an iPhone or Apple Watch, with features including color-coded spending summaries, daily cashback, and no fees of any kind beyond interest.

Mother's Day is set to take place on Sunday, May 8, in the United States and other countries, and ahead of the upcoming event, Apple has shared a Mother's Day Gift guide that is filled with gift suggestions for those who are looking to treat their moms with Apple devices.

The first part of the gift guide focuses on the iPad mini, iPad Air, and accessories like the Apple Pencil to go along with it, while the second part highlights the iPhone 13, third-generation AirPods, and AirTags.

Apple also suggests the Apple Watch Series 7 as an ideal gift, along with various Apple Watch bands and the Apple Fitness+ subscription service. The AirPods Max, HomePod mini, and Apple TV 4K are also listed as gift possibilities.

Each section of the gift guide has an appropriate heading, such as "for her dreams and plans," "for her most important connections," "for reaching her fitness goals," and "for her deepest relaxation."

Apple regularly provides gift guides for major holidays, including Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, and more.

Apple is planning to host an Apple Watch activity challenge on International Dance Day, which is set to be celebrated on Friday, April 29. The Activity Challenge will show up on the Apple Watch as a notification in the days leading up to the event.

To get the International Dance Day award, Apple will ask Apple Watch users to do a dance workout of 20 minutes or more on April 29.

Time to groove! Earn this award by recording a Dance workout of 20 minutes or more on International Dance Day, April 29. Record it with the Workout app or any app that adds workouts to Health.

Apple Watch users who successfully complete a dance workout on the appropriate day will unlock a badge in the Fitness app along with animated stickers that can be used in the Messages and FaceTime apps.

The challenge can be completed with a standalone dance routine or by using a dance routine in Apple Fitness+. Apple's fitness subscription service has a dance category that will fulfill the requirement. Apple Fitness+ is priced at $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.

International Dance Day is one of the Apple Watch activity challenges that Apple hosts on an annual basis, and it will come one week after the Earth Day activity challenge.

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming two weeks following the release of the first betas.

Developers can download iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5 through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5 are minor updates compared to prior iOS 15 point releases, and there are a limited number of changes. Apple may be releasing an Apple Classical app at some point in the near future and there are references to it in the beta, but it is not yet available. Apple is using the iOS 15.5 update to lay the groundwork for functionality that will let developers of "reader" apps add a link to an external website for the purpose of signing up for and managing accounts outside of the App Store.

There are also minor changes to Apple Pay Cash, with Apple adding Request and Send options, and Apple is making some changes to the iTunes Pass that used to be available in the Wallet app. We have a complete list of changes in our iOS 15.4 guide.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Monterey 12.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new update coming two weeks after the release of the first macOS Monterey 12.4 beta.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.

According to Apple's release notes, Universal Control in the new iPadOS 15.5 and macOS Monterey 12.4 updates is not compatible with machines running macOS 12.3 or iPadOS 15.4, so Apple suggests that as a workaround, users should update their ‌Universal Control‌ devices to the new betas.

We don't yet know if there are any other features in macOS Monterey 12.4, and nothing new was discovered in the first beta.

Another release candidate version of macOS Big Sur 11.6.6 has also been seeded.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 8.6 beta to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming two weeks after the release of the first beta.

To install ‌‌‌watchOS 8‌‌‌.6, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, ‌‌‌watchOS 8.6 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update.

To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌.

We don't yet know what's included in the watchOS 8.6 update, and no new features have been discovered in the beta so far.

Following a successful crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, accessory maker Hyper today announced that its HyperDrive Duo Pro hub is now available to purchase for use with 2016 and newer MacBook Pro models and 2018 and newer MacBook Air models.

The form-fitting hub features a 7-in-2 design, meaning that it connects to both Thunderbolt ports on one side of a compatible MacBook and provides access to seven connectivity options, including an HDMI port (4K @ 60Hz), a Gigabit Ethernet port, a USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support and up to 100W Power Delivery, a USB-C port (5 Gbps), a USB-A port (5 Gbps), a microSD card slot (UHS-I), and a 3.5mm combo audio jack.

The HyperDrive Duo Pro is available in space gray or silver colors and can be ordered for $99.99 on Hyper's website. The hub comes with an extended USB-C adapter in the box that allows it to be used with other USB-C devices like the iPad Pro, Chromebooks, and more.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with HYPER. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Nomad, known for its range of accessories designed for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, today announced the launch of a dual-port 65W USB-C PD charger that uses Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology for a slim and light design.

This is Nomad's third GaN charger, and it is the company's most powerful with 65W maximum. When a single device is plugged in, the power adapter is able to charge at the full 65W, and when both ports are in use, the upper port outputs at 45W and the bottom port supplies 20W.

We were able to test out the charger ahead of its launch, and it has a simple, compact shape with collapsible prongs that make it ideal for travel. It works as expected, and is able to charge an M1 MacBook Air, M1 MacBook Pro, iPad, or iPhone at full speed, with a second port available for another device. It can dual charge an iPhone or iPad and a MacBook at the same time, though it is not powerful enough for Apple's 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

The charger is ideal for Apple products but it also works with Nomad's Base One and Base One Max MagSafe chargers.

The 65W AC Adapter can be purchased from the Nomad website starting today for $69.95.

All four iPhone 14 models that are expected to launch later this year will likely feature an upgraded front camera with autofocus and a wider ƒ/1.9 aperture, well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a tweet today.

The wider aperture would allow more light to pass through the lens and reach the front camera's sensor on iPhone 14 models. Kuo said these camera upgrades could result in an improved depth-of-field effect for Portrait mode photos and videos, while autofocus can enhance focus during FaceTime and Zoom video calls. By comparison, the front camera on all iPhone 13 models has fixed focus and an ƒ/2.2 aperture.

Kuo has previously claimed that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in particular will also feature an upgraded rear camera system with a 48-megapixel Wide lens that will enable 8K video recording, up from 4K currently.

Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max around September as usual. For more rumors about these devices, including other features that are expected, read our iPhone 14 roundup.